L'Italo-Americano

GIOVEDÌ 26 DICEMBRE 2024 www.italoamericano.org 21 L'Italo-Americano F or the first time in 19 years, a female director will repre- sent Italy in the race for cinema's h i g h e s t h o n o r s . M a u r a Delpero's second feature film,Vermiglio, has been nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Foreign Language Film category. After earning critical acclaim at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, D e l p e r o ' s f i l m h a s a l s o become Italy's official entry for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. Written and directed by Delpero, Vermiglio is an inti- mate portrait of a large fami- ly, set in a small alpine village that shares its name with the film's title. "Vermiglio is the mountain village in Trentino- Alto Adige where my father was born," Delpero explained when we met her in Los Ange- les during the film's promo- tional campaign. Set in 1944, the film—largely performed in the local dialect—explores the impact of World War II on a small, isolated community. "I chose this specific historical period because I consider it a time of great transition," she added. The story unfolds entirely within the remote mountain village, far from the battles raging across Europe, where the arrival of a deserter sol- dier disrupts the life of the vil- lage schoolteacher and his f a m i l y . W h e n t h e e l d e s t daughter, Lucia, falls in love with the soldier, the family's fate takes an unexpected turn. W i t h V e r m i g l i o , M a u r a Delpero has created a deeply personal yet universally reso- nant film. Blending her fami- ly's history with Italy's, Ver- m i g l i o c o n n e c t s p a s t a n d present, earning deserved international recognition. How did the idea for the film come about? I wouldn't call it an idea, b u t r a t h e r a f e e l i n g . I t emerged during a moment when everything in my life was changing. I was working on another project when my father passed away, and I felt an urgent need to pause and reflect. It was a turning point: on one hand, I was mourning my father's death; on the other, I wanted to become a mother. Then I had a dream: my father appeared to me as a child, joyful and carefree. That image inspired the child in the film, who is based on him. My father grew up in a small mountain village, and I began writing about children p l a y i n g t h e r e — c h i l d r e n inspired by my father and his s i b l i n g s , m y a u n t s a n d uncles. Over time, what start- ed as a personal story grew into something much larger. I realized there was some- thing universal in these fami- l y d y n a m i c s . A s I w r o t e , memories—smells, tastes, sounds—came flooding back, a n d t h e s t o r y n a t u r a l l y evolved into something pro- foundly audiovisual. Are other characters i n s p i r e d b y p e o p l e i n your life? Yes, many of them. The mother in the film is inspired by my grandmother, with whom I've always felt a deep c o n n e c t i o n . T h e s c h o o l - teacher, played by Tommaso Ragno, is based on my grand- father. He was my father's teacher and one of the most respected figures in the vil- lage. My grandfather was almost like a mayor—people gathered in my grandmoth- er's kitchen to discuss com- munity issues. It was a myth- ical place, the heart of the family. What was the filming process like? It was incredibly challeng- ing! Shooting in the moun- tains brought endless diffi- c u l t i e s : f r e e z i n g temperatures, small children, animals, and unpredictable w e a t h e r . I f t h e r e w a s n ' t e n o u g h s n o w , w e h a d t o climb to 2,000 meters with s n o w c a t s t o f i n d i t . T h e actors wore period shoes, which were far from ade- quate for the cold, and there were moments when even the cows refused to cooper- ate! On top of that, I was a first-time mother. My seven- month-old daughter was with me on set, and I often nursed her while directing a scene. Surprisingly, this situation brought a positive energy to the production. H o w d i d y o u w o r k with professional and non-professional actors? I chose a mix of profes- sional actors and locals from t h e v i l l a g e . T h e l o c a l s b r o u g h t a n i n c r e d i b l e authenticity. Many of them had never been in front of a c a m e r a b e f o r e , b u t t h e y embodied the essence of the p l a c e — t h e i r m o v e m e n t s , speech, and behavior were deeply rooted in the territory. I a s k e d t h e p r o f e s s i o n a l actors to learn from the non- professionals, not the other way around. For example, T o m m a s o R a g n o i s a renowned Italian actor and a true city dweller, but he had to adapt to rural life to fully inhabit his role. How difficult was it to film in the mountains? Extremely difficult! Every- thing was more complicated, especially with the weather. If a scene required snow and it didn't fall naturally, we had to ascend to higher altitudes with snowcats, which could only transport a few people at a time. The conditions were harsh, and the actors strug- gled with the cold in their period costumes. We also worked with animals, which added unpredictability. One day, a cow refused to cooper- a t e , a n d I f o u n d m y s e l f directing her while managing my baby. It was chaos, but s o m e h o w t h o s e m o m e n t s added authenticity to the film. What was your vision for the cinematography? I c o l l a b o r a t e d w i t h Mikhail Krichman, a brilliant Russian cinematographer I deeply admire. I wanted the film to look like a painting, so we used artworks as refer- ences during pre-production. We focused on creating a s p e c i f i c c o l o r p a l e t t e t o authentically capture the period. I didn't want to shoot in black and white because the film's story is cyclical and spans all four seasons. We also drew inspiration from autochrome photography, an old technique that provided the perfect mix of texture and nostalgia. What was the biggest challenge on set? The hardest part was mak- ing the actors feel like a real f a m i l y . O n l y t w o o f t h e m were siblings in real life; the rest didn't know each other at all. I wanted them to feel comfortable sharing physical spaces, like sleeping in the s a m e b e d o r b e i n g c l o s e enough to touch each other's feet. That level of intimacy isn't easy to replicate, but it was essential for the story. D o e s y o u r d a u g h t e r appear in the film? Y e s , s h e h a s a b r i e f appearance! She's in a Sicil- ian piazza with her babysit- ter, dressed in a traditional costume. I wanted to include her as a small personal mem- ory, but I didn't give her a larger role. She cried too much during auditions, and I wasn't sure I could balance being both a mother and a director. Instead, I cast a local gynecologist to play the mother of the newborn in the film. She was fantastic—com- pletely unfazed by crying babies and perfect for the role. SILVIA NITTOLI Italian director Maura Delpero makes history with Vermiglio A still from the movie Vermiglio (Photo: Janus Film) LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS

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