One of the most interesting surprises of the summer of Italian cinema is “Have you ever been afraid?”, Ambra Principato’s directorial debut. A gothic horror set in an Italian village in the 1800s, where an unidentified beast soon becomes a threat.
How did you come to debut with such an unusual film for Italian cinema?
I met the producer Marco De Micheli because I held a pitch with him for one of my original subjects, which we developed together and which we are now preparing to send to pre-production. But he immediately suggested that I read Michele Mari’s book “Io venìa pien d’anguna a rimirarti”: it struck me a lot, I found themes similar to mine.
In the book there are obvious references to the Leopardi family, we have left things more nuanced (but who wants to understand…). I felt those pages close, but I have a lot of respect for the authors and I wasn’t calm until Mari saw the film and appreciated it … she didn’t recognize herself in everything, but we are kindred spirits somehow.
Was your project also a horror?
My new work also focuses on young protagonists, there too there is a dark and fantastic element that dominates … There are some resonances, but it is of a completely different kind, set in the 80s. I like movies related to current events, coming of age stories.
Debuting with a genre film is not easy.
I know this film of mine is not appreciated by slasher horror fans, there is too little blood! But it’s a film about fear, a film about fear: I know, it’s definitely a risky project.
It is always said that traveling with animals, kids and boats is to be avoided: here we don’t have boats but the rest do, and in abundance! I was impressed by the skill of my young actors, especially Lorenzo Ferrante who left me speechless at the age of 7.
In general, working with actors is the thing I like best to do, it takes time but a film is a magma, the work improves thanks to an alchemy that is created on the set, the exchange is fundamental, it takes a lot of dialogue between the crew and cast.
In a film like this it’s not easy to decide what to show and what not…
The book is written in the form of a diary and the whole second part of the film is not there, it stops much earlier. The viewer must always question his point of view, there is a small investigative line to follow, but weak. Even the character of Mirko Frezza on paper almost does not exist, we have worked out his character together, which remains mysterious …
How are the people who see the film reacting?
Meeting the public, even on social media, I find it splendid that they write to me exposing doubts after the vision, it means that they have brought something home with them, I consider it positive to brood over what they have seen. Obviously, however, I do not dissolve any doubts, the mystery must remain!
I feel that the topic dealt with was very popular and knowing it is important for me, it also means that the Italian public is ready to welcome these projects, I hope we will be a sort of battering ram so that it happens more often!
I would like the film to be sold abroad, there are chances that it will end up on a platform and meet an international audience: this is one of the reasons why I am more focused on a genre story than really involving Leopardi, who does not it is very well known.
And then I admit it, I wanted to leave some “window” open for a possible sequel, who knows…
04/08/2023, 14:58
Carlo Griseri