Johnny Cigarini by John Cigarini

Author:John Cigarini
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784628062
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

Chapter 22

The American Dream

The company was in its heyday, winning more awards than we had time to receive, and it was time to expand and open in America – the land of opportunity that has always attracted me. America to me was the most liberated and free nation of the modern world and I adored the constitution, just less the power establishment intent on rewriting it. I travelled there with a feeling of adventure, in search of the American dream. On the back of our great successes in Europe, in 1982 I got on a plane and went to open an office in New York.

In the late seventies and early eighties, we had won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Advertising Festival six times. This is the award for the best overall production company in the festival, judged not on one film or the ideas of the commercials, but on the production values. It is the final award of the festival, donated by the Ville de Cannes and presented by the mayor. I collected it personally on four occasions on behalf of the company. I had a flashback as I stood receiving one award. Shaking the hand of the mayor, I looked at the audience; I heard the sounds of their hands clapping and I seemed to stand for longer than was appropriate, but I did not feel uncomfortable. I was thinking of my life, all of it, from the deaths of my parents, leaving Italy, to Margate and Durham, Africa and my beloved London. I didn’t need to force a smile out, it came onto my face and it didn’t leave me for the rest of the ceremony. I stood with my smile and our award, and I watched the people. Were they really happy for me? Did they really care? Did I? Yes. I thought of the reverend; had he helped me or ruined me? I thought of Granny, Maria, Patti, my mother.

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