TECHNICAL SHEET Italy 2020, colour, 121’, 4K DIRECTION SCREENPLAY D.O.P. SOUND EDITOR SOUNDTRACK PRODUCTION CO-FINANCED BY SUPPORTED BY
Rodolfo Bisatti Rodolfo Bisatti, Maurizio Pasetti, Laura Pellicciari Debora Vrizzi Alessandro Romano Yuki Bagnardi, Rodolfo Bisatti Sajncho Namčylak Kineofilm Srl Mibact - Ministero per i beni e le attività culturali e per il turismo Film Commission Vallée d'Aoste
MAIN CAST Laura Pellicciari Paolo Bonacelli Krista Posch Francesco Cerutti CONTACT Kineofilm Srl secretary@kineofilm.it 0039 3347862782
SYNOPSIS
Lucia, who lives with her teenage son Gabriel battles with the passing of her daughter Anna who succumbed to leukemia eight years earlier. Her husband, unable to cope with the daily situation lives a separate life away from the family. Lucia in a continuous variance of depression, has dedicated her nursing career to the terminally ill at a hospice. There she manages to calm its patients with a smile unaware they are teaching her the meaning of every day life. Lucia befriends retired professor Redetti (Paolo Bonacelli) who shares with her his own life experiences, dealing with angst, leaving her with the message that she should "Grasp the Meaning of Life". Lucia’s son Gabriel, fearless of life deals with his sister’s passing in his own way and proofs to himself and his mother that to live includes the risk of dying.
BIOGRAPHY
Rodolfo Bisatti (Padua, 1960) worked with Ermanno Olmi within Ipotesi Cinema’s project for over twenty years.
In 1995 he established Kineo, an association for the study and research of audio-visual communication and in 2009 formed Kineofilm Productions. He has directed several workshops with focus on renewing the audio-visual language. In 2015 he created V.A.M. (Multisensory Video Literacy) recognized by the Italian Commission of U.N.E.S.C.O. for its value related to the democratization of the audio-visual language. He is one of the founders of Terzocinema, authors’ organization in 2013. It was inspired by the Argentine movement with the intent of exploring different paths from the mainstreaming’ one and from the contemporary’s cinematographic authors. Terzocinema (third cinema) using the lighter and last generation of digital technology, suggesting a production alternative for a free, experimental, democratic and participative cinema.
Essential FILMOGRAPHY Màuse (1997), produced by Fabio Olmi, is the very first experimental film entirely shot with a webcam. Case (1997) was chosen by Marco Müller for the 50° Locarno’s Film Festival. Il Giorno del Falco (2004) produced and distributed by Mikado and RAI Cinema, had its world preview during the 61° International Cinematographic Exposition of Venice. La Donna e il Drago (2011), (The Woman and the Dragon) a feature film focusing on a mother’s detention in jail. The subject raised a wide debate on the situation. Voci nel Buio (2013), first feature film co-produced between Italy and Slovenia. It was selected at a number of international festivals - SEEFest in Los Angeles, 16° Shanghai’s International Film Festival, Honour mention at Murcia’s International Film Festival IBAFF Jury - distributed in Italy and USA. La Crudeltà del Mare (2014), film focuses on the separation of parents through the eyes of there 5 year old daughter. It was screened at a number of festivals, Malatya International Film Festival Turkey, la Semaine Asimétrique in Marsiglia, Guadalajara Film Festival and at the China Women’s Film Festival Beijing (2015), organized by the Chinese Communication’s University. Al Dio Ignoto (2020) – To the unknown God
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
A society that doesn’t think about death it’s bound to die This consciousness has been the major reason pushing me to realize, no matter how difficult it has been, this film has an intense meaning in a world of turmoil and Pandemic. Prior to the pandemic period, death was something absolutely removed from our society; something like a ghostly spirit that hit and disappeared without leaving a single trace, the mourning hidden and unnamed. Death is a taboo and sounds natural by escaping as far from it as possible. But if you take it into consideration, being aware of death may actually help you live an intense life. Being aware of death doesn’t mean to become a victim of it but the chance to living your time in a better way, investing on the most essential aspects of life. A vision that is not materialistic but witnesses small matters in every day things the majesty of being in this world. This essential view recalls to the will by getting rid of every day’s worries and discover the fundamental turning points of existence. One of these is finding the correct way in approaching an illness, to find the necessary energy in facing a difficult and painful life’s moment, such as the death of a loved one. It was this great and hard challenge that made me realize this film. The style means to underline this essential research through a bare language that proceeds for subtractions but also very emotional and wonderful. I wanted to shoot in real hospices, close to the real patients making the experience very strong for all of us, because, there life concentrated without any accessories and being extraordinary peaceful. With due respect, my collaborators and I, stood close to those people going through there delicate moments. We observed their hands, listened to their words and looked into their eyes. The long road that took us to the film’s realization actually became a fundamental initiatory path prepared us for the goal. In this sense, the role of Gabriel arrived not so far from the goal and not by chance. Francesco Cerutti actually used this role in the film to confront the loss of his sister, who died at fifteen while Gabriel was just eight years old. He didn’t have any fear to participate, he didn’t hesitate, he gave himself totally without any prejudice. “To the unknown God” it’s real proof that the Palliative Care cannot become a rigid protocol but stay close to their roots, comprehending that the patients are the real teachers, helping us grasp that light and dark which are the ultimate sense of our existence in this world. Who works in this field has a contagious peace. That’s what we need today, to be aware that to get ready for death means to live our life to the fullest completely. Our tumultuous society, is where
everything is show and chat, actually has all the elements to accomplish it. We just need to put our house in order and be aware to our every day’s gestures, words and objects. Just as in Giorgio Morandi’s paintings where even the dust was a poetic expression of every day’s holy mystery.
PROJECT’S DEVELOPMENT NOTES The very first idea on the project arrived in the nineties on Ermanno Olmi’s suggestion, who involved Bisatti for shooting in the very first Italian hospice, something rare since at the time there were no laws in Italy concerning the Palliative Care and therefore were not recognized by our national health system. The project found its development through the theatre pièce, 20two, a monologue in which Laura Pellicciari plays the role of a mother who lost her daughter. We began in Rome at Belli’s theatre and took the monologue to several other Italian cities, such as Milan and hinterland where we performed for a week. After the monologue the debate with the audience involving different experts of palliative care, bioethics and patient’s rights. That was the moment when the Italian debate was focused on the biological testament’s law approval. The monologue preparation gave shape to the actor’s method named “shaping”. The location scouting’s became a mini doc series commissioned by the Touristic Agency of Meran. This allowed us to cover part of the pre-production budget and led us to sensitive areas of the territory. In producing this film Kineo Film built a network of consensus through a transversal approach. We involved the main association that represent the palliative care field worldwide – IAHCP, EACP – we built a chain of sponsors to cover the set’s costs and developed several collaborations in the cinema’s field.
ACTORS He is best known for his performance as the Duke de Blangis in Pier Paolo Pasolini's final film, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975). He was in Midnight Express (1978) as the despised prison trustee Rifki and Caligula (1979), in which he plays the role of Cassius Chaerea. Within the several roles performed in USA Night on Earth and The American. In Italy he worked with such world renowned directors such as Francesco Rosi, Michelangelo Antonioni, Liliana Cavani and Roberto Benigni. Laura Pellicciari is graduated in architecture, actress and cinematographic producer. In 2010 she is the protagonist in “The woman and the dragon”. In 2012 she produced and performed the lead in the Italian-Slovenina production “Voices in the dark”. In 2014 she worked for “The cruelty of the sea” feature film. In 2015 she plays Pierpaolo Pasolini’s cousin “La macchinazione” by David Grieco. Since 2016 she produced and performed the theatrical monologue “20two” in collaboration with Paolo Bonacelli. She’s the starter of the actor’s method “Shaping”. Krista Posch, actress for cinema, TV and theatre, lives in Munich. She’s best known for all Bauernprinzessin III (Paesant Princess) - In der Zwickmühle (In an istant - 2009), Bauernprinzessin II - Kopf oder Herz (Head or heart - 2007) and Bauernprinzessin (2004). Within the prizes we mention: the International Prize of Quebec Theatre, the Bavarian friends of the theatre, financial support as Dusseldorf literature’s prize. Sainkho Namtchylak was born in Tuva, a village in the south of Siberia. A graduate at the conservatory, where she studied the Siberian Lamaist and shamanic traditions, as well as the Tuvan harmonic singing. She started as a folk singer with the Tuvan State Folk Ensemble and soon was internationally recognized In 1988 Sainkho started to work with other musicians in the Soviet Union, trying to blend Tuva's ethnic traditions with a modern and experimental style. In 1997 she was attacked probably by a Russian neo-Nazi group, which left her in coma for approximately two-weeks. This accident changed her way: since then she has lived between Vienna and Dublin and devoted mainly time to her concert career. Few examples of her production: Lost Rivers (1987), Out Of Tuva (1993), Time Out Letters (1997), Naked Spirit, Stepmother City, Aura (2001),Who Stole The Sky (2003), Cyberia (2011), Like A Bird Or Spirit, Not A Face (2016).