04.15.2021

Songwriters Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Laura Pausini, if this song wins and, of course, you translated it and you sing it into Italian, because the film is in Italian, it will be only the 4th time a foreign song has won for Best Original Song at the Oscars. What does it mean to you?

LAURA PAUSINI, SINGER AND SONGWRITER: It’s a big responsibility and it’s an honor for me as an Italian artist and an Italian woman to share this moment with my country, especially because the song is in Italian and I think this is the very first time with a whole lyric in Italian. So, it makes me feel so proud and it’s an honor to be part of this movie, which is that beautiful one. It’s so important, the message that want to spread all over world. And with Diane, we are feeling goosebumps every time we are talking about our song and our beautiful moment we are sharing together.

AMANPOUR: It’s a great film and the song is really moving. But how did you get to do it, Diane? Because I think you had to approach — was it Edoardo Ponti, Sophia Loren and the director of the movie. How did you get to do it?

DIANE WARREN, SONGWRTIER: A friend of mine told me about the movie and I said, is it OK if I call Edoardo, the director, which I’m not shy about that. If I hear — I mean if I hear about something that excites me like the story that my friend was talking about the movie. So, I reached out to Edoardo, he sent me the script and I just — I loved it and it just touched my heart and made me cry. And I kept saying the word seen because these characters, you have Madame Rosa and Momo who the world doesn’t see at all, they’re like cast off from society. And they are thrown together and they don’t even see each other, but through love and understanding and really seeing with your heart, not your eyes, they do understand each other and they become a family. And, Laura, you were saying that too, like that’s the beauty of this movie and the message of the song, because — you know, and it goes beyond the movie because this message, so many people don’t feel seen right now in the world, you know, and feel invisible, and this is a song for them, this is a song to, you know, the simple phrase, I want you know that your seen, is so powerful because we all want to be seen and we all need and long to be seen and be loved.

About This Episode EXPAND

Fawzia Koofi; Jon Ossoff; Patrick Sharkey; Diane Warren; Laura Pausini

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