2015 Police Calendar presented in Rome

The 2015 Calendar of the Italian National Police was presented this morning at the Police Academy in Rome.

The event, presented by RAI journalist Vincenzo Mollica, was attended by Police Chief Alessandro Pansa, high ranking officers of the Department of Public Security, and the Vice President of the Italian Committee for UNICEF Silvana Calprice.

In his speech the Italian Police Chief highlighted the calendars have mirrored the changes in the National Police. He said: "What characterizes the Polizia di Stato is the ability to keep pace with the times, always looking ahead, in order to respond more effectively and efficiently to the everchanging needs of the public."

On the occasion, a video presentation of the 2015 calendar was showed to the audience.

Vittorio Storaro, the author of the shots, was also present.

Guest of honor was actor Luca Zingaretti, who plays the role of Inspector Montalbano, the character from the novels of the writer Andrea Camilleri, in a well known TV series.

"Arts and skills of the Polizia di Stato": this is the overarching theme which inspired the director of photography and winner of three Academy Awards Vittorio Storaro in creating this special calendar.

He not only interpreted the art in all its major forms such as painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, philosophy and photography, but also gave shape to the Latin meaning of the word "ars", that is skill.

The symbolic "skills" of the Polizia di Stato were therefore depicted in the 12 months that make up the 2015 calendar.

The ability to search, pay attention, keep a balance and so on: these are the "arts" attributed to police officers.

In this work, Vittorio Storaro tells about the will and commitment of the police, that is, serving the public every day in order to accomplish their mission statement "Always being there".

Many of Storaro's shots depict the creations by Mario Ceroli on display at the Interior Ministry (Viminale) and at the National Police Academy, along the aisles, in the conference hall, in the meeting room, in the dining hall, in the chapel and the Memorial to the Fallen.

After the ceremony Prefect Pansa donated Mr Storaro an old camera, which belonged to the Forensic Police back in the Sixties.

As of 2001, all proceeds from the sale of the calendar have been allocated to some humanitarian projects of UNICEF.

So far, about two million euros have been collected for the projects supporting children and against their exploitation in Cambodia, Benin, Congo, and Guinea.

This year, the 110,000€ proceeds will finance the project "Central African Republic - Nutrition for children who are the victims of the humanitarian crisis".

Those who haven't purchased the calendar yet can address their local Police Headquarters (Questura).

Concurrently with the presentation of the calendar, the photo exhibition entitled "The art of Vittorio Storaro for the skills of the Polizia di Stato" was inaugurated.

The exhibition, held at the Markets of Trajan in Rome, featuring the shots of the calendar and other images having inspired Mr Storaro, will be open to the public from December 5, 2014 to January 11, 2015. Admission is free for all members of the Polizia di Stato.

Italian