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RELEASES Italy

Giannini returns to the director’s seat with Ti ho cercata in tutti i necrologi

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- The famous actor has directed, starred in and produced an English-language film half thriller, half noir in which he plays Nikita, a man who defies death for money

There are those who get bored of hunting animas and decide to start pointing their guns at human beings. This is what happens in Ti ho cercata in tutti i necrologi [+see also:
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(literally – I searched for you in every obituary), but also in real life: “Years ago, I was told the story of men in Africa who are paid to be hunted. That story stayed with me and I wanted to transform it into an imaginary story.” These words belong to famous Italian actor and dubber Giancarlo Giannini (photo) who, as director and actor in this film, really wanted to carry the project through. He also stepped in as producer when the foreseen coproduction with Canada fell through.

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“The film was born as 30% Canadian, 70% Italian coproduction, with a budget of €4 million. The Canadians never put in their part, but at that point the film needed to be done. I had to chip in the rest of the money. If it doesn’t work out, it’s on me.” 

It is difficult to predict how this unusual film will do at the box office. Half thriller, half noir with grotesque overtones, the film which was shot in Toronto in English is being distributed by Bolero Film and will hit 50 cinemas starting on May 30. Giannini plays the role of Nikita, a man full of contradictions who is paid to defy death. He works for an undertaker’s, and one day finds himself caught up in a poker game outside the city. In order to pay off his debt, he is asked to participate in a manhunt: he will have twenty minutes to run from men who, gun in hand, will try and hunt him down to kill him. Nikita starts to enjoy it, and from that moment onwards, starts getting handsomely paid for being the prey in a hunting game.

“Cinema is more visionary today. New roads are being sought out. We saw this in Cannes,” Giannini, whose first stab at the director’s seat goes back to 1987 with The Numbers Game, explained. “When you make a film you need to invent and have fun, even if you make mistakes. This is an unconventional film, a challenge.”

The great actor, who turns 71 in August, has definitely been courageous, if nothing else in terms of his physical effort. In order to avoid shots, Nikita runs, jumps, rolls in the mud, on the snow, he climbs and falls. And there are no stuntmen here.

Produced by Magalì Production, Dean Film and Rai Cinema, with contribution from the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBAC), Ti ho cercata in tutti i necrologi will be presented at the next Shanghai International Film Festival. Talks are under way for sales in South America and Germany.

This July, Giannini will be receiving the prestigious Truffaut Award from the Giffoni Film Festival 2013, which is given to great people from within the world of cinema and culture (previous recipients include Roman Polanski, Bernardo Bertolucci, Oliver Stone, Meryl Streep, Nicolas Cage, Susan Sarandon and Roberto Benigni).

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(Translated from Italian)

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