ERRECONZERO from alarm to awakening I Interview |

 

RSTMPA: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind “ERRECONZERO from alarm to awakening” and what motivated you to embark on this documentary project?

Andrea: THE INSPIRATION CAME ALMOST AUTOMATICALLY WHEN, IN ITALY FIRST, AND IN THE WORLD SOON AFTER, WE FOUND OURSELVES FACING THE LOCKDOWN AND ALL THE CONSEQUENCES THAT CAME WITH IT. IN THAT FIRST MOMENT, WHEN OUR PREMIER ON LIVE TV ANNOUNCED TO US THE “I’M STAYING HOME” DECREE, I SAID TO MYSELF, “THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW. I HAVE TO TELL WHAT IS HAPPENING. BY TELLING IT, IT WILL REMAIN ETCHED IN THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY. FOR ALL TIME.”

RSTMPA: The film captures a wide range of emotions and experiences during the pandemic. How did you approach the selection process for the individuals featured in the documentary, and what challenges did you encounter while gathering their stories from various countries?

Andrea: THE EMOTIONS I TRIED TO CONVEY IN THE DOCUMENTARY ARE AUTHENTIC. I MADE A HUGE EFFORTS IN SEARCHING FOR THOSE WHO COULD GIVE THE DOCUMENTARY, THEIR OWN EMOTIONAL CHARGE BY PERSONALLY TELLING THEIR STORIES AS A PERSON/INDIVIDUAL, NOT AS A ROLE IN SOCIETY. THAT’S WHY I WANTED TO HEAR THE TESTIMONIES OF THE MAYOR OF BERGAMO OR THE MAYOR OF BARI, WHO WAS ALWAYS ON THE FRONT LINE DURING THE WHOLE LOCKDOWN PERIOD, THE GOVERNOR OF THE PUGLIA REGION, THE HEAD OF THE COVID DEPARTMENT, THE NURSE, THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER. ALL NOT AS ROLE BUT AS PEOPLE. FOR THE OTHER TESTIMONIES I HAVE TO THANK MY FELLOW CAMERA OPERATOR FRIENDS, DOTTED AROUND THE WORLD, WITH WHOM I HAD CLOSE DAILY CONTACT. I WOULD ASK THEM TO FILM CERTAIN THINGS AND THEY WOULD GO, WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT. WE ALL TOOK A LOT OF RISKS, BUT I THINK IT WAS ALL TOTALLY WORTH IT.

RSTMPA: The interplay between images and words is a key aspect of the film. Could you share your creative process in balancing these elements to effectively convey the emotions and messages you wanted to communicate to the audience?

Andrea: ALONG WITH GIORGIO VIGNALI AND VITO SCHIRONE, WHO SHARED THE EMBRYONIC PHASE OF THE WORK WITH ME, FROM THE SHARED IDEA TO THE WRITING OF THE SUBJECT, WE TRIED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING TO HAVE ALL THE INTERVIEWEES SAY, A “KEY” WORD FOR THEM THAT REPRESENTED THE PERIOD THEY HAD LIVED THROUGH. THESE ARE ALL KEY WORDS NOT THOUGHT OUT BEFOREHAND OR STUDIED AND MADE THE PROTAGONISTS SAY THEM LATER, THEY WERE SAID BY THOSE DIRECTLY INVOLVED, LIVE WITHOUT ANY FILTER OR CONSTRAINT WHATSOEVER. I CHOSE TO SET UP THE WHOLE DOCUMENTARY NARRATIVE STRUCTURE INHERENT IN THE INTERVIEWS THIS WAY TO MAKE THEM REAL, PURE AND AUTHENTIC. YOU GET THIS GREAT SENSE OF TRUTHFULNESS AND AUTHENTICITY FROM THEIR REACTIONS.

RSTMPA: “ERRECONZERO from alarm to awakening” covers a global perspective by filming in multiple countries. How did you navigate the logistical and cultural differences while maintaining a cohesive narrative that resonates with audiences worldwide?

Andrea: AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WITH ALL MY FELLOW CAMERA OPERATORS , THERE WAS A CLOSE COLLABORATION MADE UP OF CALLS, EMAILS, DAILY SHOOT SUBMISSIONS. MY DIRECTIONS ON WHAT TO SHOOT ON ONE DAY VERSUS ANOTHER, THIS IS BECAUSE THE RESEARCH DONE THROUGHOUT THE MAKING OF THE DOCUMENTARY, LED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ALL ONE BIG COUNTRY. WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN ITALY, PEOPLE ON BALCONIES CLAPPING, THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE CLAPPING IN ARGENTINA OR INDIA. HUMANITARIAN AID FILMED IN ITALY, TWO DAYS LATER I WOULD GET PICTURES FROM ARMENIA OR COLOMBIA. DISINFECTION ON THE STREETS WOULD COME TO ME FROM FRANCE BUT ALSO THEN FROM EGYPT. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE HOW A WHOLE WORLD CAME OUT AND TOOK THE SAME MEASURES TO SAVE THE WHOLE POPULATION.

RSTMPA:  The documentary explores themes of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of collective experiences. What do you hope audiences will take away from watching the film, and what impact do you anticipate it will have on viewers?

Andrea: WHAT I WANTED TO TELL WAS EXACTLY WHAT YOU MENTIONED IN THE QUESTION. RESILIENCE, HOPE AND TRANSFORMATION OF COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE. I HOPE THE AUDIENCE WILL SEE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN, ALL OF US. ALL OF US, UNKNOWING PROTAGONISTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND THEN HEROES.

RSTMPA: The music in the film plays a significant role in enhancing the emotional impact. Could you discuss the collaborative process between you and the composers, Enrico Elia and Tiziano Milani, and how the music was selected and integrated into the storytelling?

Andrea: I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO GIVE VALUE TO MUSIC IN MY PROJECTS. WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR SOME TIME WITH TIZIANO AND ENRICO, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST WORK WE DID TOGETHER. RIGHT FROM THE START I NEEDED DIFFERENT MUSIC, NOT CLASSIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC AND THAT’S WHERE I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF THEM. I DISTINCTLY ASKED THEM TO BE MUSICAL AUTHORS OF SOME PARTS OF THE DOCUMENTARY, IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE DESIRE TO CREATE SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY. TITIAN WITH HIS ACOUSMATIC COMPOSITIONS HAS GIVEN MEANING TO THE BLOODY SCENES, OF “ALARM” SOUNDS THAT BECOME MUSIC. ENRICO, ON THE OTHER HAND, GAVE A BRILLIANT TONE IN THOSE “AWAKENING” MOMENTS, I REALLY NEEDED TO WORK ON THIS SOUNDTRACK IDEA AND
THEY BOTH SUCCEEDED VERY WELL. I WILL NEVER STOP THANKING THEM.