Interview with Producer Angelo Troiano on Basilicata: Terra di Cinema

Interview with Producer Angelo Troiano on Basilicata: Terra di Cinema - "Thriller" the Phenomenon

Angelo Troiano, Sergio Ragone, Giuseppe Marco Albano

Born in Bernalda, a small town in the province of Matera, Angelo Troiano grew up watching the work of American directors like Francis Ford Coppola, whose grandfather is from the same town. When he was a child, Troiano’s mother took him to the local Cineplex to see cinematic masterpieces. However, he didn’t hear his calling to be a filmmaker until he was well into his teens.

In 2008, he started Basiliciak, a small production company funded solely by contributions from supporters. He produced three films with Basiliciak, including the highly acclaimed short film, AnnA, which was directed by his friend and business partner, Giuseppe Marco Albano. That partnership has grown and flourished over the years. Their most recent production is the short film, Thriller, about a Pugliese youngster who overcomes the financial hardships of his city by impersonating his idol, Michael Jackson. The film was catapulted into the limelight after winning Italian cinema’s most prestigious honor, the David di Donatello. Co-produced by the pair’s close friend, Huffington Post journalist and fellow filmmaker Sergio Ragone, the Lucano trio travels throughout Italy, presenting their award-winning film to enthusiastic audiences.

Thanks to social media, I’ve been connected with these filmmakers for years and I’ve watched their progress with each new project. I was so happy to see the huge success of Thriller, so I contacted Angelo Troiano for an interview. I found a well-spoken young man truly passionate about his work and his origins. I asked him about this phenomenon called Thriller, and the filmmaking boom currently taking place in his beautiful region of Basilicata.

First, tell me about the story of this boy, the protagonist in your short film, Thriller.
Michele is a huge fan of Michael Jackson to the point of dressing up and moving like him every moment of the day. The film takes place in Taranto, located in the southern region of Puglia. There, everyone recognizes his talent and they know it’s just a matter of time before he ends up on television. But when that day finally comes, his father is unable to accompany him on the trip to the studios due to a workers’ strike. The boy uses his imagination to come up with a solution to keep him from losing his dream. It’s a story of hope in a city that has so much to offer beyond the current issues related to the environment and health.

This film has been embraced by audiences all over Italy. What do you think are the qualities of this story that make it so loved?
Well as I said, it is a story of hope, from the perspective of someone surrounded by many other problems. I believe this aspect has moved people the most, from the citizens of Taranto to people all over Italy and parts of Europe. It also has an erratic pace as its tough subject matter alternates with some hilarious moments. I believe that Giuseppe Marco Albano really created a complete recipe.

Tell me about your evening at the David di Donatello awards.
It was obviously a unique and unforgettable emotion. I just hope the protagonist’s debut made an impact on Italian cinema. It was hard for us to believe that we actually won this prestigious award, but compliment after compliment from all the actors, directors and producers present made us realized that our dream had come true, and that it was a new starting point to do even more. Then to shake hands and speak with a legend like Quentin Tarantino, I think it was the icing on the cake. It was an unexpected turn of events and that will remain forever in our hearts.

Tell me about this “Land of Cinema” that Basilicata has become, and the future of filmmaking there.
Basilicata has the extraordinary advantage of possessing locations filled with ambience that suit any film of any genre. Also, the people of Basilicata realize the positive economic impact cinema can have on the region. The film industry of Basilicata is still working to develop its resources to facilitate the increase in film production. When everything is fully developed, Basilicata will be a perfect land of cinema. We are definitely on the right track.

Any plans for your next project?
I have a couple projects that I am working on with my partner, Giuseppe Marco Albano. One is a documentary about Italian society. Then, my different work experiences in Puglia presented me with the opportunity to learn more about this region. So, I am developing an ambitious project to reinforce the importance of short films that are often disdained in Italy.

Thriller is available to watch right here. The dialogue will be tough to follow if you don’t speak much Italian. However, the images and stellar performances make the story easy to follow.

Comments

The Anthology Film Archives Presents: The Italian Connection: Poliziotteschi and Other Italo-Crime Films of the 1960s and '70's

June 19 – June 29 Influenced both by 1960s political cinema and Italian crime novels, as well as by French noir and American cop movies like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection," many Italian filmmakers in the late-60s and early-70s gradually moved away from the spaghetti western genre, trading lone cowboys for ‘bad’ cops and the rough frontier of the American west for the mean streets of modern Italy. Just as they had with their westerns, they reinvented the borrowed genre with their inimitable eye for style and filled their stories with the kidnappings, heists, vigilante justice, and brutal violence that suffused this turbulent moment in post-boom 1970s Italy. The undercurrent of fatalism and cynicism in these uncompromising movies is eerily reminiscent of the state of discontent in Italy today. ‘The Italian Connection’ showcases the diversity and innovation found in the genre, from the gangster noir of Fernando Di Leo’s "Caliber 9" ...

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Iconic scenes from 'Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina' highlight Italy's North-South divide

If you’re in the mood for a quintessential old-school Italian comedy, look no further than “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina.” Directed in the mid-1950s by Camillo Mastrocinque, the film has stood the test of time. Starring two of Italy’s most beloved comic actors, Totò (Antonio De Curtis) and Peppino De Filippo, it is widely regarded as one of the country’s most iconic comedies, showcasing mid-century Neapolitan humor. The film also features a young Nino Manfredi at the beginning of his prolific six-decade career. “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina” is the story of two simple, old-fashioned brothers from Naples, Antonio and Peppino Caponi (Totò and De Filippo respectively), who embark on a trip up north to check on their young nephew Gianni. Gianni has moved to Milan and fallen for a seductive nightclub dancer named Marisa (Maria Luisa Mangini, aka Dorian Gray), whom they refer to as a “malafemmina,” meaning a “bad woman” or femme fatale. Believing she is corrupting him, Totò and Peppino ...

Model/Actress Anna Falchi

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination. She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria . I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know. Watch the trailer . Anna Falchi started her career as a...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog