Brando De Sica follows grandfather’s footsteps
A “family festival” is what Rome International Film Festival President Gian Luigi Rondi had promised that and the Official Selection is making good. After Maria Sole Tognazzi’s opening film The Man Who Loves [+see also:
trailer
film profile], debut filmmaker Brando De Sica is the second show biz offspring in competition for the Golden Marc'Aurelio Award.
Son of Christian De Sica and grandson of Vittorio, in Parlami di me [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a film of his father’s successful, eponymous one-man play, there are numerous moments dedicated to his grandfather, a master of Neo-Realism and one of Italian cinema’s most beloved actors.
"I never met [my grandfather], but my favourite fairy tales as a child were his films The Children Are Watching Us and Miracle in Milan," said the director, who after several forays into acting chose to move behind the camera, and studied filmmaking from USC in Los Angeles.
There, he made the short film L'uomo che voleva andare su Marte (“The Man Who Wanted to Go to Mars”), which convinced his parents (in particular his mother and the film's producer Silvia Verdone) to give him the job of directing Parlami di Me. Apparently, nepotism had nothing to do with it. "Brando brought a breath of fresh air to this kind of film,” said Christian.
De Sica’s upcoming plans include an edgy noir. "I’ve always loved horror, and I was struck by Michele Giuttari’s [book] Il mostro - Anatomia di un'indagine. I’m writing a screenplay that will follow the esoteric trail of the murders of [serial killer] 'The Monster of Florence', those who commissioned him and the secret power of the Anti-State".
The film may be produced by Aurelio De Laurentiis’ Filmauro, which will distribute Parlami di me and also has many other projects slated with Christian De Sica. Besides the usual Christmas title (the umpteenth of the "saga"), there will also be a prequel of Mario Monicelli’s My Friends (1975). However, the actor is currently working on a dramatic turn: he will soon star in Antonello Grimaldi’s L'età dell'oro.
(Translated from Italian)
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