From 'Il Postino' to 'Sul Mare'

Sul Mare (On the Sea) (2010), the new feature film by director Alessandro D'Alatri.

Read Alessandro's exclusive interview about his film below:

me: "Ale, thanks for joining us. Can you please start by telling us what Sul Mare is about?"

Ale: "It's a struggling love story between a young seaman from the island of Ventotene and a young student from north Italy, on the background of the contemporary Italians contraddictions. The story is adapted from "Sul Mare" by Anna Pavignano (academy award nominee for best screenplay of 'The Postman')."

me: "What is the inspiration for making this particular film, despite the fact that the story itself is so intriguing?"

Ale: "Since many time I wanted to make a sperimental [experimental] movie, even about using new technologies and also using a cast of unknow actors. Both things has been made in this movie. The two young actors, Dario Castiglio and Martina Codecasa, made their debut in this movie. The shooting has been made with a digital camera Sony EX3."

me: "Where did you film it? And can you share with us the experience of bringing Sul Mare to the screen, concerning filming location and the experimental manner in which you filmed it?"

Ale: "Almost the entire movie has been release on Ventotene's Island, a beautiful place located in the Mediterranean sea. This choice, as using the digital camera, let us make a movie with "impact 0" on the nature: we din't use any electric generators, artificial lights, trucks or other big vehicles. Thanks to this choice we earned a production agility (15 person crew) that let me work with absolutely creative freedom. An opportunity that made possible elastic productions plans, not possible otherwise (due to the weather every day we decide the production plan) and at the same time, considering the young age and inexperience of the two main actors, I had the opportunity to film without thinking about the cost of the film. the two actors had the chance to play without the fear to make mistakes. We never had really difficulties making the movie, the cameras greatly adapted even under the sun and also during the cold in the night; the only advice that we followed was to back-up every day the daily shot on three different hard-disk to be sure to save the product."

me: "How is the film being received? And what are the festivals you've been to?"

Ale: "The film has been released by Warner Bros Entertainment, and despite good reviews (domestic and international) and appreciations from the audience, the movie didn't achieved high commercial result. Probably the release in competition with very popular comedy, didn't help to achieve a better result. Actually the movie is living a second life with open cinema in summer and festivals in Italy, we are waiting for invitations from international festivals. I know the Taormina Film Festival, but unfortunately I've never been invited showing some of my features. I hope this time is gonna be the lucky time!"

me: "Now that you have finished the journey of Sul Mare, any ideas of what projects you will take on next?"

Ale: "I'm in full writing of my next project for cinema (we are planning to start the shooting next spring) based on an a ironic view about divorced father. At the same time I'm adapting for theatre Ingmar Bergman's 'Scenes from a Marriage' and we will debut in January 2011."

me: "Grazie mille, Ale! Sei proprio un grande artista! Grazie!" :-)

Interview by, Vanessa McMahon

see the review on Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.sulmarefilm.it/home.php
and

see the Sul Mare trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9LV9YLiVow&feature=channel

Photo stills of Sul Mare

Alessandro D'Alatri