The movies, cuisine and eyewear at the 'Mido in….action' party

In the background, images of Anna Magnani and Alberto Sordi, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni and, in another corner, Clint Eastwood with cigar and smoking gun in scenes from the most famous spaghetti-western, 'A Fistful of Dollars'. For one night, the golden years of Cinecitta' had moved to the Fiera Milano halls in Rho-Pero. This was how Mido greeted exhibitors and guests at the 2008 edition's opening appointment.

Throughout the world, Made in Italy is a prestigious synonym for creativity: in movies, cooking, fashion, and, of course, in eyewear. All these components came together in an unprecedented initiative aimed at impressing all the guests. An event crowned with success, as was the first day of Mido, which had 12 thousand visitors, as President Vittorio Tabacchi pointed out in his short speech of welcome. He also emphasized the continual evolution of this appointment (next year there will be two: Milan in March and Rome in September), which is perfectly conveyed in the 'Mido in…Action' logo.

The worlds of cinema and eyewear meet frequently, but last night all eyes were on the meeting between famous images and dishes whose presentation and flavor somehow conjured up those bygone times: from Donna Sofia pizza to the 'pasta e fagioli' of the infallible gunslinger, to typical Italian specialties like prosciutto and mozzarella. 'A stimulating and creative task' was how Andrea Comella, the head of Areea Kitchen catering, described the gastronomic reinterpretation of movies of the Fifties and Sixties. From the way the guest crowded the four corners of the gastronomic route, the initiative was an obvious success.

The evening ended with a show by Flic, the artists-athletes-acrobats who exalt the magic of contemporary circuses: applause for a performance choreographed by Ivan Manzoni, another of those who keep Italy in the spotlight, worldwide.