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Interview with director Nathan Tosoni

  • Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that filmmaking is your way of telling stories?

Probably since the first time my hands were big enough to hold a camera, unfortunately, I don’t remember that moment…!

  • Do you think it is essential to go to a film institute in order to become a successful filmmaker?

As history shows, I don’t think that’s essential. Nevertheless, the film institute is a wonderful place that has helped a lot of filmmakers to experiment full time with filmmaking.

  • Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?

For me, the most difficult thing is to stop! When a director is really passionate about his job, everything that is
complicated doesn’t exist anymore when he is in the action of making a film.

  • What were the production realities from casting through editing that you had to accommodate? How did you navigate those compromises or surprises and still end up with a cohesive film?

At first, I thought about my budget. I had $1000 to produce my first short film “Before A Painting”. But quickly during the production of my film, I realized that having such a small budget was an ally in the making of my movie. And I think it’s an ally for any first-time director! I had the idea to create a film segmented into 3 episodes all linked by the same concept that can be summarized by this sentence “What happened right before 3 painting masterworks?”, each episode had to end with a shot that reproduces the masterpiece of the painting that the episode was exploring. My film is 24 minutes long, but it is cut into 3 episodes, each with a different cast, a different location, and a different story. It was much easier to negotiate and get lower prices for equipment, sets, locations, and costumes by only borrowing them for a day or two to shoot an
episode, rather than renting them for six to eight days to shoot a 24min short film.

  • What was the hardest artistic choice you made in the making of a film, at any stage in production?

I can’t say. During the writing and directing, I am so involved in the film that I don’t even think about evaluating which artistic choice was more difficult than the others.

  • You are a collaborator. How have you discovered members of your team and how do you keep the relationship with them strong?

I met some wonderful people during the making of this film, including several of my actors/actresses who were fascinating people to watch and listen to. We write to each other to keep each other informed of the results of the film at festivals or simply to take news from each other.

  • What do audiences want? And is it the filmmaker’s role to worry about that?

I think the audience is very open-minded, the filmmaker has a mission to make a finished product that is thought for the audience, to offer them a world they can enter and feel every moment.

  • What role have film festivals played in your life so far? Why are they necessary? How do you get the most out of them?

A film festival is an excellent opportunity to get feedback from film lovers on our film. A film festival can also be the ideal connection between a talented young director and a production company.

  • Do you believe that a filmmaker should be original and fresh or he/she should stick to classic but safe cinema style?

Any desire to follow a recent trend or to get as close as possible to an older cinematographic movement is possible, but the most important thing is the director’s passion for the film he is making.

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