Özpetek to set of “drifiting mines” in Puglia

by Camillo de Marco

09/07/2009 - After the dramatic A Perfect Day [trailer], Ferzan Özpetek returns to comedy with Mine Vaganti (“Drifting Mines”), shooting on which will start at the end of August in Puglia.

"After a dark film,” said the Turkish-born director during the European Film Festival in Lecce,” and above all in this historic full of anxieties, in the world and in Italy, I felt the need to be lighter".

Özpetek just recently chose his female lead, Sicilian actress Nicole Grimaudo, who will flank Riccardo Scamarcio, Alessandro Preziosi and Dario Bandiera. Grimaudo has played small parts in films by the Taviani brothers, Lina Wertmuller, Gianluca Maria Tavarelli and Franco Battiato, as well as in A Perfect Day.

This year, she will appear among the cast of Giuseppe Tornatore’s Baarìa [trailer], which will open the upcoming Venice Film Festival.

Produced by Fandango, Mine Vaganti was written by the director and Ivan Cotroneo. It looks at a family of pasta makers in the Salento area and in particular two brothers and their relationship with their father and sister.

"[Puglia] is not just about naturally beautiful landscapes, but also a way of life, of experiencing the ‘other’", said Özpetek. "I think that unlike other [Italian] regions, it is not racist towards immigrants.” To better describe the people of Puglia, the director admitted he watched all the films of Sergio Rubini. "His way of telling stories inspires me,” he said.

(Translated from Italian)