Rai Cinema touched down at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) New York gala on Thursday evening to present Giuseppe Tornatore’s upcoming film The First Dollar to the high-profile guests.

The project, which is in development, tells the story of Amadeo Peter Giannini, founder of the Bank of Italy, later known as Bank of America.

Giannini is an iconic figure for the Washington-based NIAF, which was created in 1975 in support of the Italian American community in the U.S.

Born in California in 1870 to parents hailing from the Italian coastal region of Liguria, he revolutionized the banking system by making credit accessible to ordinary people, immigrants, workers, women, and families who had previously been excluded.

His life also intersected with key moments in U.S. and global history including the reconstruction of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, when he reopened his bank amid the rubble to restore confidence to a devastated city.

Giannini also supported the birth of the film industry, financing works by Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, and Frank Capra; and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. He also supported both the New Deal and the Marshall Plan, contributing to the reconstruction of Europe and Italy after World War Two.

Paolo Del Brocco, CEO of Rai Cinema, led the presentation in person in front of some 700 guests from the U.S. and Italy, including leading figures from the Italian-American political, financial, and cultural communities. 

“I would like to thank NIAF President Robert Allegrini for inviting us to present this major project. The story of Amadeo Giannini is so extraordinary that, in the hands of a master such as Giuseppe Tornatore, it can only result in great cinema,” he said.

“An Italian, the son of immigrants, who succeeded in transforming the American banking system while maintaining a moral consistency that allowed him to unite economic success with social responsibility and a deep commitment to those most in need.”

The First Dollar is produced by Simone Gattoni and Marco Bellocchio under the banner of the latter’s Rome-based company Kavac Film with Rai Cinema.

“In this year of the American semi-quincentennial when the National Italian American Foundation is highlighting the many fundamental contributions to the nation made by Italian Americans, it is particularly appropriate that we use our New York Gala to showcase the upcoming film The First Dollar about  A.P. Giannini who was one of the most consequential financers and philanthropists in American history,” said NIAF president and CEO Allegrini.