24 | SPECIAL EVENTS
ICFF 2021
AN INTERVIEW WITH ENRICO CASAROSA DIRECTOR OF DISNEY AND PIXAR’S FILM LUCA
by Cristiano de Florentiis What elements of your Italian culture, identity and general approach to life did you bring to Pixar and this film? And, if any, what Italian customs did you want or had to change to be able to integrate into this new working environment? I’ve lived in the US for more than twenty years. Making the films I make enables me to embrace my roots and share them with our team and with the world once they’re done. I loved sharing the details of our beautiful Italian language, our amazing food (specifically the Ligurian one) and all the wonderful details of our small towns. It was a pleasure to play host when we visited Liguria with our team for example. As far as customs go: I think we certainly had a lot more Spritz at Pixar since we started this project! Lastly, we are gunning for Pesto to dominate the pasta sauce world! The film tackles the themes of finding yourself and the power of friendship to transform us and helps us grow. What does your childhood and Luca’s childhood have in common? I share a lot with Luca-- like him I grew up a timid and introverted kid with a big imagination. Like Luca I also met a wonderful extrovert that was a whirlwind of fun and passion. Like Luca the friendship with my best friend helped me grow up, challenge myself and chase the things I wanted.
The two boys are hiding a secret underneath the water as they transform into sea monsters-which is what they are. What drove you to tell a story of people who are different? There is so much at age 12 or 13 that makes us feel odd and out of place. It’s easy to feel like outsiders or losers. The idea of having a second identity that made you feel a sense of shame, something you needed to hide like a sea monster on land would have to, that felt like a great metaphor for all the ways we feel different or other. Especially in the formative years when we’re all trying to figure out our identity.
