SYNOPSIS
An old prison in a remote and inaccessible area of Italy is scheduled for closure. Due to bureaucratic mishaps, the transfer of inmates is blocked, and a dozen prisoners wait for their new destinations, watched over by a handful of guards. Their lives feel suspended, and the rules of separation between agents and convicts begin to fray as new relationships form among the remaining men.
directed by
LEONARDO DI COSTANZO
written by
LEONARDO DI COSTANZO, BRUNO OLIVIERO, VALIA SANTELLA
production
TEMPESTA/CARLO CRESTO-DINA
with
RAI CINEMA
in coproduction with
AMKA FILMS PRODUCTIONS
year
2021
world premiere
OFFICIAL SELECTION VENICE 78
run
117'
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
“The prison of Mortana does not exist in reality: it is an imaginary location that we built after visiting many prisons. In those places, we often found people ready to talk and tell their own stories. Some of those meetings were attended by guards, wardens and convicts at the same time. On those occasions, it was clear we were witnessing a certain friendliness in the air, as all of them were talking over each other, racing to be the first and tell their stories. There were laughs. As soon as those meetings were over, everybody suddenly switched back to their official role. The men in uniform, keys in their hands, took the convicts back to their cells, in an abrupt return to reality that left us disoriented. This sense of disorientation drove us to the making of this film. Ariaferma is not a film about the status of Italian prisons. It might be a film about the absurdity of prisons”.
CAST
TONI SERVILLO Gaetano Gargiulo
SILVIO ORLANDO Carmine Lagioia
FABRIZIO FERRACANE Franco Coletti
SALVATORE STRIANO Cacace
ROBERTO DE FRANCESCO Buonocore
PIETRO GIULIANO Fantaccini
NICOLA SECHI Arzano
LEONARDO CAPUANO Sanna
ANTONIO BUIL Bertoni
GIOVANNI VASTARELLA Mazzena
FRANCESCA VENTRIGLIA Warden
Crew
Directed by LEONARDO DI COSTANZO
Written by LEONARDO DI COSTANZO, BRUNO OLIVIERO, VALIA SANTELLA
A production by TEMPESTA with RAI CINEMA
Produced by CARLO CRESTO-DINA
Co-produced by MICHELA PINI, AMEL SOUDANI
Associate producers VALERIA JAMONTE, MANUELA MELISSANO
Associate producer ALESSIO LAZZARESCHI
Production coordinator GIORGIO MAGLIULO
Cinematography LUCA BIGAZZI
Editing CARLOTTA CRISTIANI
Art direction LUCA SERVINO
Original music PASQUALE SCIALO’
Sound XAVIER LAVOREL
Costume design FLORENCE EMIR
Make up MARY SAMELE
Sound editing DANIELA BASSANI
Sound mixing MAXENCE CIEKAWY
Assistant director DAVID MARIA PUTORTÌ
casting ALESSANDRA CUTOLO
acting coach ANTONIO CALONE
executive producers JAN PACE, JAMES ATHERTON
Venezia 78. Official Selection / Out of Competition
Italian release date: October 14, 2021
Produced by: Tempesta / Carlo Cresto-Dina with Rai Cinema
in co-production with Amka Films Productions
in co-production with RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera in collaboration with Vision
Distribution with the support of Eurimages supported by Ufficio Federale della Cultura
(UFC) in collaboration with Sky in collaboration with Prime Video in association with Quickfire supported by MIC – Direzione Generale Cinema e Audiovisivo with the contribution of Regione Autonoma Sardegna with the support of Fondazione Sardegna Film Commission
Made with the support of Regione Lazio – Fondo Regionale per il Cinema e l’Audiovisivo
Italian distributor: VISION DISTRIBUTION
World Sales: Catia Rossi – VISION DISTRIBUTION