THE FINGER AND THE MOON, 19min., Italy
Directed by Rossella Bergo
Tommaso, a 28-year-old boy, lives in an old country house isolated from the world, with Bianca the seamstress mother, now a widow for many years.

http://www.laclownessafilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laclownessafilm
https://www.instagram.com/il_dito_e_la_luna_shortfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My idea was to bring to light the discomfort of not being able to express one's talent and creativity and to show love, acceptance and understanding as the only way out. The short film The Finger and the Moon aims to focus attention on how, even today, prejudices, limiting beliefs, taboos, etc. may affect the life of those who suffer them. Not feeling accepted or understood causes an intense discomfort that can manifest itself in various ways. At the same time, the film project aims to highlight that even where there does not seem to be space for art and creativity, these push to the point of transhipping. There is no way to silence that impetus dictated by the soul of a talent and, even if in a culturally not very fertile environment, creativity flourishes in all its splendor without established codes and imposed rules. I wanted to talk about all this.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The script was born in 2020 and with the pandemic I had great difficulty finding the funds so I spent almost two years to make it.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Poetic and surreal.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest obstacle was finding economic support to do it.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was very exciting and I felt deeply understood because some feedback caught the deep sense of my script and all of its flailing.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

It all started unintentionally, almost like a game in 2015 when I took my camera and experimented with it in my first film but I still didn't know it would become a short film. I understood it with time, when I was asked if I wanted to present it at the Venice Festival in a space of my region.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I love the movie Harold and Maude (1971) directed by Hal Ashby, I think the screenplay of Colin Higgins is genial and I find it to be one of the most beautiful films ever. I think I saw it 7/8 times or more.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I think the FEEDBACK Female Film Festival is really an original festival that offers many opportunities to a director that other festivals don't give. So, I feel really satisfied with your work. In general, it is clear that having the opportunity to participate in festivals in person can help your career.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I have been working on this platform for many years now and I am very well because it makes everything very simple and clear, work, contacts, notifications etc.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I am vegan for a deep respect and love for animals, I love all vegetables, I love to cook dishes of different cultures and traditions obviously in a vegan version.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I have many ideas and scripts ready for both short and full-length films and now I would like to experiment with a feature film but the problem is always the same: finding funds or productions interested in bizarre, surreal projects. My style is not always understood, especially in Italy. I like the magic realism, the tragicomic, the non-sense, the bizarre stories and everything that can be told through a humorous style. I think humor is a powerful tool that can transmit messages in a seemingly light but not superficial way. Coming from circus experiences, I worked for many years as a clown in the street but also in hospitals and humanitarian missions such as in Afghanistan, India, Cambodia, Argentina, Brazil, Belarus and I noticed how laughter can break down the walls between people of different cultures, different religions and traditions and bring them closer. My previous shorts are all comedies and silent movies, The finger and the moon is my first dramatic film.