Interview: Director Francesco Colangelo on his Cannes short film "Giochi di ruolo"

Fresh off the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, director Francesco Colangelo answers a few questions about his film Giochi di ruolo, which was featured in the festival's Short Film Corner. Starring Valeria Solarino and Andrea Napoleoni, the story is reflective of the changing gender roles in society these days and how the new economic trends are influencing women to adopt some less than flattering male qualities.

Born in the beautiful southern Italian region of Puglia, Colangelo has worked on both sides of the camera in a variety of roles from writer to director to actor with a few in between. He's enthusiastic about his latest work and his new collaboration with actress Valeria Solarino.

Our conversation was originally in Italian, so both versions are included.

What can you tell me about this story?

It’s the story of a private confession told by a woman to a new aquaintence she meets in the park who turns out to be a gigolo. So this woman becomes the client and the man is the prostitute. It’s symbolic of a new tendency of the current female presence in the world.

Puoi dirmi qualcosa della storia?

La storia è una confessione privata, femminile ad un interlocutore non convenzionale in un parco. E' una confessione di una donna ad un uomo che si rivelerà essere un gigolò. Quindi lei è una donna cliente di un prostituto maschio in un parco. E' una storia che racconta una nuova declinazione della visione femminile del mondo... per come è attualmente.

How did you come up with this story for a film?

The story came from analyzing the present, seeing that women have vested a certain role in society, which includes economic power and through this power, they’ve acquired the worst characteristic of the male society, which is the power to control people through wealth. I liked telling this story seen from this female side where the exploited is a man and the exploiter is a woman. It’s simply to state the fact that society is such that those who hold the economic power also hold the power of being able to hurt others.

Come era nata questa storia?

La storia è nata analizzando il presente, vedendo che le donne hanno acquisito un ruolo nuovo nella società: il potere economico, e attraverso il potere economico hanno anche acquisito i caratteri peggiori della società maschilista, e cioè di poter controllare le persone attraverso tale potere. Mi piaceva raccontare questa storia vista dalla parte dello specchio, dove lo sfruttato è un uomo e le sfruttatrici fossero delle donne, semplicemente per raccontare il fatto che in una società così caratterizzata, chi detiene il potere economico detiene anche il "potere" di fare del male all'altro.

Tell me about choosing your actress for the lead role.

The short film came from a series of stories written for television. Giochi di ruolo was an episode interpreted by four important actresses- Carolina Crescentini, Antonia Liskova, Giulia Michelini e Valeria Solarino. I chose Valeria Solarino because it was what made sense somehow. I must say that all four actresses were great in the series. They all put much of their love into making it happen. Valeria Solarino in particular was really a treasure. It was a new discovery for me because I hadn’t worked with her before. When the short was done, we did another project together because I had discovered her value both as a woman and as an actress, so I wanted to work with her again.

Puoi dirmi qualcosa dell'attrice che ha fatto la protagonista?
Il corto deriva da una serie di storie organizzate come una serie TV dal titolo "In The Park", interpretate da quattro importanti attrici italiane, di cui questo corto "Giochi di ruolo" è un episodio. Le interpreti sono Carolina Crescentini, Antonia Liskova, Giulia Michelini e Valeria Solarino. Ho deciso di prendere di estrapolare da questa serie l’episodio con Valeria Solarino perché era quello che aveva un senso in qualche modo più compiuto.

Devo dire che tutte e quattro le attrici sono state bravissime, sono state al servizio del progetto ed hanno messo il proprio amore, molto amore, nel realizzarlo. Valeria Solarino nello specifico è stata veramente un tesoro, una scoperta. Non avevo lavorato con lei prima di questo lavoro, e dopo questo lavoro ne ho fatto anche un altro con lei, perché è stata una scoperta sia come donna che come attrice.

We'll keep you posted on when this film will be available to the public. In the meantime, click here to check out Francesco Colangelo's other works on YouTube.

Comments

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 ...

The Extraordinary Career and Legacy of Dino De Laurentiis

Producer Dino De Laurentiis was one of the most prolific filmmakers ever, having produced or co-produced more than 600 films during a career that spanned seven decades. His legacy continues not only through the work of his children and grandchildren but also through a new generation of filmmakers in his Italian hometown. De Laurentiis was born in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius on Aug. 8, 1919, in the city of Torre Annunziata, located just minutes from the ruins of Pompeii. As a child, he worked at a local pasta factory owned and operated by his father. That experience had a profound effect on him, shaping a lifelong passion for food and an appreciation for business. At the age of 17, he decided to leave home for the big city. He arrived in Rome and enrolled in the prestigious film school, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. After attending the school for about a year, he managed to produce one film in 1940, The Last Combat , before having to leave Rome temporarily for m...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

The Sweetness and Genius of Giulietta Masina

Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration. Nicknamed a “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as the actress who moved him most, Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times. Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog