Not until next month!

It’s July 1958 and Ennio Flaiano runs into an old film extra he’s known for years.

Given Rome’s cinematic historico-biblico-mythological re-birth, this film extra has been shuttling from one film to another without even changing his makeup.

He is a wise man out of Thebes, an archon of Athens, a counsellor at the court of Pharaoh, a Babylonian priest. In Crete he is a watchman at the Labyrinth, upon Olympus he is Saturn, in Galilee an apostle

He asks Ennio for a small loan. Ennio is confused and asks him, ‘But aren’t you working?’

He extends his arms, desolate and answers, ‘I might be a Roman Senator – but not until next month!’