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A Conversation with Director Giovanni Totaro about Palermo's Annual Summer Pilgrimage



It's not often that a filmmaker's first feature scores a coveted spot in the lineup of the Venice Film Festival but such was the case with Palermo-born director Giovanni Totaro. He presented his first feature-length film, a documentary, last September at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. "Happy Winter" was in the Official Selection of the festival but not in competition.

Every summer on Palermo's famed Mondello beach, over one thousand wooden huts are constructed as a summer tradition for local beachgoers. For these southerners who typically love the sea, they spend three months in paradise watching the sun rise and set over the majestic Mediterranean. During the summer, the beaches are taken over by families, sun-bathers and even politicians canvasing for votes. However, in the last few years, there has been a decrease in the huts being built due to an economic crisis and many Sicilians are afraid of losing their cherished summer get-a-way. Giovanni Totaro grew up in this culture and documented the rise and fall of the phenomenon in his film. 

When I first read about "Happy Winter" premiering in Venice, I was fascinated not only by  this summer tradition that I had never heard of, but also by the fact that this was the young filmmakers first feature and it premiered at such an iconic festival. So I contacted him and asked him all about his experience making the film. That was in September. I am publishing our interview now because it's recently been announced that the film will be shown by Doc Lounge, an organization which specializes in events, outreach and distribution of international documentaries. 

Totaro was gracious, patient and thorough in answering my many questions about the film. I learned so much about this tradition and how important it is to the people of Palermo. Rather than interpret his answers, here is our interview in full. It was originally done in Italian, so both versions are included. 

Tell me how you arrived at his point in your career, to have your first feature-length film premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
During the three years I spent at Centro Sperimentale, I produced documentaries such as "Traiettoria ideale" (The Ideal Trajectory) and "What I do to Make You Love Me," the second directed by Nunzio Gringeri. On "Happy Winter," I was able to involve many of my colleagues from school: camera operator Nunzio Ghingeri, sound engineer Adriano Alampi, assistant editor Riccardo Cannella, production manager Giovanni Rosa, and the DOP (Director of Photography) Paolo Ferrari who was my teacher at Centro Sperimentale as well as the editor Andrea Maguolo whose work I appreciate.

Raccontami come sei arrivato a questo momento nella la tua carriera... con il tuo primo lungometraggio nella programma della biennale di Venezia.
Questo è il mio lungometraggio d’esordio, durante i tre anni di Centro Sperimentale ho realizzato dei documentari come la "Traiettoria ideale" e "What I’ve to do to make you love me", il secondo in co regia con Nunzio Gringeri. Su "Happy Winter" sono riuscito a coinvolgere molti dei miei colleghi di scuola: operatore Nunzio Ghingeri, fonico di presa diretta Adriano Alampi, l' assistente al montaggio Riccardo Cannella, direttore di produzione Giovanni Rosa, e scegliere il dop Paolo Ferrari che è stato mio docente al Centro e il montatore Andrea Maguolo di cui apprezzo i lavori.

What compelled you to tell this story?
In 2014, these cabins on the sea risked being dismantled in order to make room for commercial boats. The cabins, throughout the years, in good times and in bad, were always there as a way to enjoy the sea. They became a part of our identity. But increasingly, these cabins are being replaced with pre-packaged models that don't take into account the people's needs. So, I decided to observe and live this kind of microcosm to better understand the bond that beachgoers developed with these sea cabins. 

Cosa ti ha costretto a raccontare questa storia?
Nel 2014 le cabine mare di Mondello rischiavano di essere smontate per lasciare il posto ai lidi attrezzati. Nel bene e nel male le cabine rappresentano un modo unico di fruire il mare e sono parte della nostra identità che sempre più spesso viene rimpiazzata da modelli preconfezionati che non tengono conto delle persone. Così ho deciso di ascoltare e vivere questo microcosmo per approfondire il legame che i bagnanti hanno sviluppato con le cabine mare. 



The press image pictured above doesn't offer a great angle to really understand the concept of a "sea cabin" so I researched and found this photo, which was published on Mondello.it's website in an article about the film.


I've read about this annual pilgrimage, but I'd like to hear from you, a native of Palermo,  about this phenomenon that takes place every year on the beaches of Mondello.
The Gulf of Mondello is the favorite seaside resort in Palermo and the most famous Sicilian beach in the world. On this coast for more than a century, every year there are mounted and dismantled sea cabins for beachgoers. These small huts transform the coastline into a linear village as they are built close to the sea and divided into a succession of squares called "courtyards"... a sort of tourist village self-managed by the owners of the cabin who are referred to as "Capi-Capanna" (the literal translation is cabin boss) that through the leases obtain the permanent possession of the cabin. When the Capi-Capanna passes away, the cabin is inherited by the children together with the obligation to pay the annual rent for the three summer months. Over the last few years the number of huts has decreased from 2,500 to 900,and in the coming years will continue to decline to be replaced by fully equipped beaches. This change frightens the tenants, who have developed a sense of ownership for the cabins, comparable to that established with their own home. For them to rent the hut is no longer a habit but a tradition, which translates and preserves a way of living by the sea and in general, a southern way of life. The beach is located seven kilometers from Palermo. This proximity to the city center makes the agglomeration of cabins a sort of suburb added to the city. It's a temporary district, set up from June 15 to September 15, where the distinction between private and public space is as clear as in the rest of the city. Here, the bathers move their entire arsenal of life in June to enjoy their corner of paradise enclosed in four wooden walls from morning to night. The cabin is considered a second or third house that is set up as a mini-apartment equipped with every comfort.

Ho letto su questo pellegrinaggio annuale .. ma dalle tue parole, vorrei sapere questo fenomeno che si svolge ogni anno sulle spiagge di Palermo.
Il golfo di Mondello è la località balneare preferita dai palermitani e la spiaggia siciliana più famosa nel mondo. Su questo litorale da più di un secolo, ogni anno vengono montate e smontate delle cabine mare per i bagnanti. Queste piccole costruzioni chiamate capanne trasformano la costa in un villaggio lineare, costruito a ridosso del mare suddiviso in una successione di piazze dette “cortili”.  
Una sorta di villaggio turistico autogestito dai titolari della cabina i “Capi-Capanna” che attraverso i contratti d’affitto ottengono il possesso perpetuo della cabina. Alla morte dei Capi-Capanna la cabina è ereditata dai figli insieme all’obbligo di versare il canone annuo d’affitto per i tre mesi estivi. Nel corso degli ultimi anni il numero delle capanne è diminuito passando da 2.500 a 900, nei prossimi anni continueranno a diminuire per essere sostituite da spiagge attrezzate. Questo cambiamento spaventa gli affittuari, che hanno sviluppato con la capanna un rapporto di possesso, paragonabile a quello instaurato con la propria abitazione. Per loro prendere in affitto la capanna non è più un’abitudine bensì una tradizione, che traduce e conserva un modo di vivere il mare e in generale lo spazio profondamente meridionale. La spiaggia si trova a sette chilometri da Palermo, questa vicinanza al centro urbano rende l’agglomerato di cabine una sorta di sobborgo aggiunto alla città. Un quartiere temporaneo, allestito dal 15 giugno al 15 settembre dove la distinzione tra spazio privato e pubblico è netta come nel resto della città. Qui i bagnanti traslocano a giugno l’intero proprio arsenale di vita, per godersi dal mattino fino a notte, il loro angolo di paradiso racchiuso tra quattro pareti di legno. La cabina è considerata al pari di una seconda o terza casa che viene allestita come un mini-appartamento attrezzato di ogni confort.

Tell me about the people you've met during this movie.
During the filming and in the research phases when I selected the possible stars of the film, I met many cabin renters. When I defined the cast, I deepened the connection with my subjects, which I loved and talked honestly establishing a relationship of trust with each of them, which was essential for the success of the film.

Dimmi delle persone che hai conosciuto durante la realizzazione di questo film.
Durante la realizzazione e nelle fasi di ricerca ho selezionato i possibili protagonisti del film e conosciuto molti affittuari delle cabine, quando ho definito il cast ho approfondito i miei soggetti, che ho amato e raccontato in modo onesto stabilendo un rapporto di fiducia con ognuno di loro essenziale per la riuscita del film.

From your experience making the film, why you think people continue this tradition when they cannot afford to do so?
Some of them can continue to afford it. Others do not want to downsize and give up a comfortable vacation, so they're able to maintain it on a low-cost budget. Let's say they give it up. Then that means the possibility of no longer having any summer vacation. It's tough to accept when it's your only luxury. 

Secondo te, perché la gente continua questa tradizione quando non può permettersi di farlo?
Alcuni di loro possono continuare a permetterselo altri non vogliono ridimensionarsi e rinunciare a una vacanza di sicura riuscita a un budget low-cost. Diciamo che se rinunciano a questa possibilità significa non fare più nessuna vacanza d’estate, è dura da accettare quando rappresenta il tuo unico lusso.

What did you learn about the human spirit during this movie?
I learned that if people sense a sincere enthusiasm, they will follow you anywhere no matter how crazy things may seem.

Cosa hai imparato sugli esseri umani durante la realizzazione di questo film?
Ho imparato che se percepiscono un entusiasmo vero e sei sincero ti seguono anche in cose pazze.


- Jeannine Guilyard

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