Sissy
After his mother's death, Luca finds he has hit rock bottom. Living on the streets among the homeless, to somehow feel closer to her, he finally decides to go back home for his father's birthday where something magical just might happen.
Interview with Director Eitan Pitigliani
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film in memory of my mom, who passed always recently, and this film wants to be not only a tribute to her, but to all the moms in the world, and to the people we love, who remain within us forever, even if they’re no longer here or if they have passed away… with this film, I wanted to give a voice to our loved ones too, imagining them in a beautiful world, somewhere in the skies, happy and free, finally able to have the time of their life.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Sissy is a film that deals with the loss of a mother, and I believe that seeing our loved ones finally able to have fun, no matter what, would help all those who are suffering and grieving for the people they love who are no longer alive.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Love is a universal theme, as long as death… and when the person who passed away is a mother, things get way more complicated, the world seems to crumble, and one just feels like it’s all falling apart and that life is just over. But it’s only then that we must try to see the silver lining of all this, which I believe us represented, by the fact that our loved ones, especially our moms, start living a second life, her spirit lies within us, where it will always be, all the while they may be physically somewhere else, in another dimension, that I wanted to portray as a beautiful garden, surrounded by water, with bird chirping and butterflies floating everywhere, around my mom, who in that world has taken the shape of a little girl, finally able to be happy and break free.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script was very well received by the people involved in the project, both the actors and the professionals like the 2 Oscar-nominee make up-artist and special effect designer Vittorio Sodano, the 2 David Di Donatello’s winner Marco Spoletini, the Positano Art of Dance Award Anna Cuocolo, the very talented young cinematographer Antonio De Rosa and the Israeli Tv Award winner Avi Belleli… even though, thank to them and to the work done with the actors and with the producers Martina Borzillo and the Oscar-winning producer Andrew Carlberg (who won the Oscar with Skin in 2019) and also Rai Cinema, many things have changed in the script… I like to share the stories I write and once they’re in the hands of a team made of such great professionals, it’s just great, and fun, to see what they feel like taking to the table and how beautifully they make the story shine with their art, to which I bring my personal view as a director… but it’s really a team-work, this time captained by a 7 year old little girl… our Sissy
What type of feedback have you received so far?
All those who have seen Sissy - I must admit - said wonderful words about it, especially the audience members, both in Cleveland and Rhode Island, and at Giffoni. They inspired me with their feedback and their tears (it happened quite a lot to see them with watery eyes)… it’s the just the beauty of Cinema, to be able to share a story with the audience and see them feel for it and make it their own story.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
All the feedbacks were very thorough and incredibly inspiring, and that made me realize that this story had to be told. Also because my goal, when I came up with this film, was not to impress the audience or to make something gimmicky that would stand out because of the artificiality of the narration… instead of, I wanted to be honest and true and close to the people from the get-go, in order to share my personal story and making them able to make it theirs and dive into it… I owed it to my mom, the person I loved and love the most in my life.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Sissy has just started its festival journey with 2 Academy Awards qualifying festivals (the 46th Cleveland Intl Film Festival, where it world premiered, and the Flickers’ Rhode Island Intl Film Festival) as well as the 52nd Giffoni Film Fest and Cordillera… all I am hoping is to be able to screen it before as many audiences as I can, to share the story with them and to honor the memory of my mom.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would definitely love to get the message across to the audience worldwide and to amplify it as much as possible, also because this is a time where we all need hope and to uplift our spirits in order to live our lives to the fullest and help those who suffer. I would love for programmers and festivals to take note of Sissy and enabling the film to be seen by their audiences to help me get the message across, in honor of my mom and of all the people who have left us and who are no longer here.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love Sissy to be of help to all the people who have lost someone they loved, in order to heal their pain and bring them to a point in which they would see the absence of their loved ones as a means to give them a voice and feel them within… they’re part of our souls and forever will be.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think the key question would be what happens after we pass away… if it’s really the end of everything, or it it’s just a start, the start of another life, of the ones who passed, but also of those who remain in this world, who are now able to feel the presence of their loved one within themselves, empowering them in a way, and help them face life, guiding them ona spiritual journey toward the light.
Would you like to add anything else?
Yes, a word about the cast… lead by Vincenzo Vivenzio, who is an incredible actor, the only one who could play the protagonist of this story. He’s amazing and every second of his acting in the film just shows how much he dug into the character, who is young man who decided to life on street among the homeless in response to his mother’s death….
It was a very difficult task and Vincenzo just made it happen beautifully… along with him, the 7 year-old little girl Dea Lanzaro, who stupefied all us, bringing to life the role of the protagonist’s mother… something very unique and unlikely for a kid that young… but she did, astonishingly… in the cast I also had the pleasure to have Fortunato Cerlino (from Gomorrah the series) an established top Italian actor, who played the role of the father in a fantastic way, and Mirella D’Angelo, who worked with Federico Fellini in the past, and here was the candy on the cake… in a very special role that the audience will discover watching the film… I feel so honored to have this incredible actors in this special and magical film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently working on my first feature and I can’t wait to film it and to bring it to life… I can’t say much to the story yet but it will be off the ground soon…
Interview: August 2022
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Sissy
Length:
20 minutes
Writer/Director
Eitan Pitigliani
Producer
Martina Borzillo and Andrew Carlberg
Key cast:
Vincenzo Vivenzio, Dea Lanzaro, Fortunato Cerlino, Mirella D'Angelo
Instagram: