Aahana Swrup
‘Beautiful Rebel’ presents a dramatized account of Gianna Nannini’s life, focusing on the early days of the Italian rock legend’s career from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. During this time, Gianna attempts to make a name for herself in Milan by sending out tapes to record labels and working in clubs to sustain a livelihood. Having left her family in Siena due to her father Danilo’s lack of support, the woman faces many challenges after finding herself alone in a big city. Yet, with an open, free-spirited heart and confidence by the dozen, Gianna manages to carve out a space for herself in Europe’s music scene.
However, before the musician’s big breaks in Germany, her first small win arrives upon her employment at the Operetta Club. Therefore, even though the club in Milan remains a brief pitstop in Gianna’s overarching journey, Operetta plays an instrumental role in her early success. Thus, fans must be curious to know whether or not a similar establishment exists in real life.
Operetta Club: A Representation of Gianna Nannini’s Early Career
In ‘Beautiful Rebel,’ the Operetta Club enters Gianna Nannini’s narrative at a point in her life before success and fame had put a magnifying glass over her career. In fact, within the film’s dramatized narrative, the club is presented as the woman’s first place of employment, where she’s able to make money off of her musical skills and talent. Shortly after her move to Milan, the on-screen Gianna finds a place of residence other than the local dingy hotel through a new friend’s connection. Therefore, while she focuses on putting herself on various record label’s radars, Gianna finds the local Operetta Club a fitting gig to support herself for the time being.
In real life, the actual rockstar Gianna Nannini found herself on a similar path following her big move to Milan. As per records, Nannini supported herself financially through various gigs in clubs in the first year after her departure from her family. Eventually, 1976 brought a grand opportunity to the artist’s door, as she signed a contract with the Ricordi record label, which allowed her to pursue singing/songwriting as her primary job. Since it wasn’t until her third album that the musician saw international prominence, details of her life before her collaboration with Ricordi remain scarce.
For the same reason, while it is possible that Nannini worked at a club similar— or even identical— to the on-screen Operetta Club sometime in 1975, one won’t find any details about the club’s real-life counterparts. Since no similar clubs exist in Milan in contemporary times, the Operetta Club remains a blend of fact and fiction. Ultimately, the club retains inspiration in Nannini’s actual career.
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