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Basilicata: Terra di Cinema - Interview with Director Nicola Bisceglia of “Flipo con la Basilicata”

A brand new short film is about to make its Rome premiere. Flipo con la Basilicata is a labor of love made to present the filmmakers' beloved southern Italian region on the international platform of the worldwide web. Accompanied by a rhythmic soundtrack created by Krikka Reggae, the film is a journey through the enchanting region of Basilicata. 

The film's producer Nicola Bisceglia tells us about the inspiration behind Flipo con la Basilicata and what it was like to shoot on location in Italy's emerging "Land of Cinema". Our interview was done Italian, so both versions are included.
How did this story come about?
The story opens in Madrid, where Pedro, a university student, receives the news that he was awarded a scholarship- not in Rome where he wanted to go, but in Potenza, Basilicata, which is unknown to him. His initial reaction was despair, but after arriving in Potenza and meeting Lucia and Gerardo, Pedro begins a journey of discovery and falls in love with this land. I would say that it’s a docu-fiction because the story comes from conversations that I’ve had when I invited friends to come and discover Basilicata. No one was elated at first, but once they arrived, they were speechless. I like to spread the word about my land and this is one way to reach a lot of people.

Come nasce questa storia?
La storia si apre a Madrid, dove Pedro, uno studente universitario, scopre di aver vinto una borsa Erasmus; non a Roma, dove voleva andare, ma a Potenza, nella sconosciuta Basilicata. Dopo la prima reazione di sconforto, una volta arrivato a Potenza conosce Lucia e Gerardo e inizia un percorso di scoperta del territorio che lo farà innamorare di questa terra. Direi che è una docu-fiction, la storia nasce da alcuni episodi che mi sono accaduti: quando dicevo agli amici di venire a scoprire la Basilicata, nessuno era euforico, ma una volta arrivati rimanevano a bocca aperta. Io parlo molto spesso della mia terra, questo è un modo per parlarne a quante più persone possibile.

What is the story’s message? First, that Basilicata is a land to discover, rich in history and stories, culture and excellence in all areas- and that often the eye of the stranger is the one to really see the treasures as sometimes we ourselves who are from the region don’t actually get to know it well. There are some special dynamics to the story that will be unveiled during the premieres on Saturday and Monday. Then, we will make the short film into two separate episodes that will air as a web series, that in part I wrote and for which we did pre-production. It’s a cross-media project that we will also broadcast and promote on social networks as well as traditional media.

Qual'è il messaggio della storia? Il messaggio è in primis che la Basilicata è una terra da scoprire, ricca di storia e di storie, di cultura e di eccellenze in tutti i settori. Che spesso l'occhio dello straniero aiuta a valorizzare, a volte noi lucani stessi non conosciamo la nostra terra. Inoltre ci sono alcune dinamiche nella storia che si svilupperanno nel corso della prosecuzione: quello che presentiamo sabato e lunedì è un cortometraggio che si sdoppierà e diventeranno le prime due puntate di una serie web che in parte ho già scritto e per la quale siamo in pre-produzione, il progetto è cross-mediale e abbraccerà anche i social network e i media tradizionali.  
 
What was it like shooting in Basilicata? For example, were the locals cooperative in shooting in their towns and railway stations? We shot in the province of Potenza.. in the towns of Lagopesole, Melfi, Monticchio, Venosa and San Severino Lucano. They are places quite different from each other, but all beautiful and unique in their own way. Shooting was pretty hard because we had a very tight time schedule, but we had fun on the set and there was a great atmosphere among the crew. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. The locals that we met were very helpful and it goes without saying that Basilicata is a welcoming land.

Raccontami le riprese del film in Basilicata.. per esempio, i posti.. la gente lucana.. Per adesso siamo stati a Potenza, Lagopesole, Melfi, Monticchio, Venosa e San Severino Lucano, posti tra loro abbastanza differenti e peculiari, tutti incantevoli a loro modo. Le riprese sono state abbastanza dure anche perché avevamo un crono-programma molto serrato, ma ci siamo divertiti e sul set si è creata un'atmosfera bellissima con tutta la crew, è stata un'esperienza fantastica. I lucani che abbiamo incontrato sono stati molto disponibili e ci hanno agevolato in tutto, non c'è bisogno di dire che la Basilicata è una terra accogliente.
 
Tell me about the main characters of this film. Pedro is a student from Madrid. He’s just a good Spanish kid that enjoys life and likes to have fun. After the initial shock of his scholarship in Potenza, he undergoes a personal evolution, which has a positive effect on his life. Lucia is his tutor. She’s a beautiful, smart girl who puts Pedro’s mind at ease. They get to know each other and begin a beautiful friendship. Gerardo is the outgoing friend that is just about to finish university. He’s the one who accompanies Pedro in his discovery of Basilicata.
Puoi descrivere i protagonisti del film?
Pedro è uno studente madrileno e da buon spagnolo apprezza la vita dinamica e il divertimento, dopo lo choc iniziale della notizia dell'Erasmus a Potenza avrà una evoluzione positiva. Lucia è la sua tutor, una bella ragazza, in gamba, che è incaricata di mettere Pedro a proprio agio, tra i due si inizia a intravedere qualcosa di tenero. Gerardo è un lucano doc, anche lui sta finendo l'università ed è il "Virgilio" del gruppo, la guida che accompagna Pedro a scoprire la Basilicata.  

What are the qualities of that make this land of Basilicata a land of cinema? The visual part of film speaks for itself. I would say that Basilicata is a land of cinema because, aside from offering perfect locations for all kinds of production, it’s a land rich in poetry and inspiration. The work initiated by the APT and continued through the LucanaFilm Commission is very commendable. #Flipo is also a result of this process. It was co-funded regionally by #bandoallacrisi. All these initiatives are creating the conditions to make Basilicata a complete cultural excellence, and thanks to the push of Matera2019, as my friend Sergio (Ragone) says, Basilicata is the #luogoideale, which means “ideal place”.
Queli sono le qualità che fanno della Basilicata una terra di cinema?
Parte la storia cinematografica che parla da sola (sono tanti i capolavori girati da noi), direi che la Basilicata è una terra di cinema perché, oltre ad offrire location perfette per ogni genere di produzione, è una terra ricca di poesia e di ispirazione. Il lavoro avviato dall'APT e proseguito alla grande insieme alla Lucana Film Commission è davvero encomiabile: anche #Flipo è un risultato di questo percorso, è stato co-finanziato dal #bandoallacrisi regionale. Si stanno creando le condizioni per fare della Basilicata un'eccellenza culturale, anche grazie alla spinta di Matera2019, come dice l'amico Sergio, questo è proprio il #luogoideale.  

In addition to the theater release dates, will the film also be available to view online? Our initial idea was to design #Flipo for the web with a few launch events in theaters. The web-based platform that will host the first two episodes and the collective story is an integral part of the project. We want to get Basilicata in the world, so the international reach of the web is a perfect platform. Once it’s there, we hope that everyone will like it and then follow Pedro’s adventures.
l film sarà online o solo nella sala?
#Flipo è stato pensato per il web, gli eventi di lancio prevedono le proiezioni in sala, ma la piattaforma web che ospiterà le prime due puntate ed il racconto collettivo è parte integrante del progetto, vogliamo far arrivare la Basilicata in tutto il mondo e il web e l'internazionalità del prodotto filmico ci aiuteranno in questo percorso. Poi servirà la rete, speriamo che piaccia e che la gente si affezioni a Pedro e voglia ripercorrere le sue avventure.  

If you're in Rome tonight, don't miss Flipo con la Basilicata - 8:00 PM at Cinema Adriano in Piazza Cavour.  Check out the trailer.. and to listen to the full version of "Lukania"- the song featured in the trailer, check out Krikka Reggae's music video, directed by Basilicata's own David di Donatello winner, Giuseppe Marco Albano..


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