Sicilian ghost story

by Fabio Grassadonia e Antonio Piazza

  • Film
  • Production year 2017
  • Length 120’ min.
  • Format 4K, DCP

Synopsis

When they get out of school, Luna quietly shad- ows Giuseppe, her classmate. She’s holding a love letter she’s written to him. Giuseppe takes a path towards the mountain woods and Luna decides to follow him through the dense greenery before losing sight of him. Then Giuseppe jumps out from behind her and snatches the letter from her hand. Luna tries but fails to get it back, so she strides away from him in a fury. A vicious black dog ap- pears in front of her and Giuseppe bravely rushes to save her by tricking the animal. He gives the letter back to Luna and persuades her to join him to the stables where he practices horse riding. Fascinated, Luna watches Giuseppe jump obsta- cles with the horse. When he’s finished, Luna calls out to Giuseppe and gives him her letter. He seals her declaration of love with a kiss, then heads off towards the stables. Luna waits for Giuseppe, her heart doing somer- saults. She gazes at the chain of hills in the valley, framed by a dark lake on one end and a slope at the edge of the mountain woods on the other. Giuseppe doesn’t return from the stables, so Luna goes in search of him. In one of the stalls, Giuseppe’s horse seems distressed, but there’s still no sign of the boy. After Giuseppe’s disappearance, his family choos- es to remain silent and the world around him and Luna seems indifferent, even concealing the reason for his mysterious disappearance, some- thing that Luna simply can’t accept. Even when the truth is revealed months later – Giuseppe was kidnapped by the Mafia – Luna still doesn’t give up hope and stubbornly carries on her search for him. Giuseppe struggles with the physical and psychological strife by clinging on to Luna’s love letter. The letter forms the basis of a secret con- nection between the two teenagers, a conscious and subconscious communication that inexpli- cably allows them to meet up in the world where Giuseppe is imprisoned, mysteriously accessible through the dark lake. Luna, however, is unable to return from that world of death through the lake until Giuseppe, in a harrowing and miraculous race against time, finds an unexpected escape route. He’s able to save Luna and ensure her return to the bright open space of life.



Crew

Written and Directed by Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza
Soggetto liberamente ispirato al Racconto
“Un Cavaliere Bianco” di Marco Mancassola
Edito da Giulio Einaudi Editore nel volume
“Non saremo confusi per sempre”.
Director of Photography Luca Bigazzi
Editor Cristiano Travaglioli
Music Soap&Skin e Anton Spielmann
Production Designer Marco Dentici
Costume Designer Antonella Cannarozzi
Sound Guillaume Sciama’
Sound Editor Emanuela Di Giunta
Executive Producer Francesco Tato’
Produced by Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima,
Carlotta Calori, Massimo Cristaldi
Co-Produced by Antoine De Clermont Tonnerre
Co-Produced by Elda Guidinetti, Andres Pfaeffli
An Italy- France-Switzerland Co-Production
A Production Indigo Film, Cristaldi Pics
With Rai Cinema Co-Produced by Mact Productions Jpg Films
Ventura Film Rsi-Radiotelevisione Svizzera/Srg Ssr
With the support of Eurimages
With the support of Creative Europe Programme
With the Contribution of  M.I.B.A.C.T. - Direzione Generale Cinema
With the support of Regione Siciliana – Assessorato Turismo Sport e Spettacolo –Sicilia Film Commission – Nell’ambito del Programma Sensi Contemporanei Cinema
With the support of  Sundance Institute Feature Film Program
With the support of  Fondo Bilaterale per lo Sviluppo di Coproduzioni di Opere Cinematografiche Italo-Francesi
Con la Partecipazione di Aide Aux Cinémas Du Monde Cnc Institut Français
Italian Distribution Bim
French Distribution Jour2Fête
International Sales The Match Factory


Cast

Julia Jedlikowska
Gaetano Fernandez
Corinne Musallari
Andrea Falzone
Federico Finocchiaro
Lorenzo Curcio
Vincenzo Amato
Sabine Timoteo
Filippo Luna
Baldassare Tre
Rosario Terranova
Gabriele Falsetta
Vincenzo Crivello
Corrado Santoro
E Con
Nino Prester


Awards

Sundance Film Festival 2016
Sundance Insitute Global Filmmaking Award – Best Screenplay
Athens International Film Festival
Best Screenplay
Nastri D’argento 2017
Luca Bigazzi – Best Cinematography
Marco Dentici – Best Production Design
David Di Donatello 2018
Fabio Grassadonia e Antonio Piazza - Best Adapted Screenplay


Festivals

Opening Film of the Semaine de la Critique - Cannes 2017
Beirut International Film Festival 2017, Libano
Valletta Film Festival 2017, Malta
Festa Do Cinema Italiano 8 ½ Brasile 2017, Brasile
Annecy Festival du Cinema Italien 2017, Francia
Fantasy Filmfest 2017, Germania
Bfi London Intl. Film Festival 2017, Uk
Cinema Italian Style Hong Kong 2017, Hong Kong
Athens Intl Film Festival 2017, Grecia
Sevilla Intl. Film Festival 2017, Spagna
Festival Du Cinema Italien Du Villerupt 2017, Francia
Chambery Italian Film Festival 2017, France
Clermont-Ferrand Festival 2017, Francia
Film Fest Gent 2017, Belgio
Chicago Iff 2017, Usa
Les Films de Cannes a Bucarest 2017, Romania
Cinealma 2017, Francia
Nancy 2017, Francia, Screening
Strasbourg 2017, France, Screening
Zagreb Ff 2017, Croazia
Mar De Plata Ff 2017, Argentina
Sundance Film Festival 2016, Utah
Festival del Cinema Italiano di Ajaccio 2017, Francia
Mittelcinemafest – Festival Centro-Europeo del Cinema Italiano 2017, Ungheria
Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2017, Australia
Cairo International Film Festival 2017, Egitto
Rencontres du Cinéma Italien de Grenoble 2017, Francia
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2017, Taiwan
Giffoni Film Festival 2017, Italia, Screening


Photo Gallery

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