She is a woman, dreammaker, actress and mother extremely curious about everything that, invisible, connects human beings to each other and to Mother Nature.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
Since I was a child I loved acting and pretending to be somewhere else. I often had to escape from the reality that surrounded me and so I succeeded. Over time I discovered the therapeutic and initiatory side of art and I understood that I was very lucky to follow that first intuition…
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Absolutely. I think that cinema as art, and art in general, is the most effective way to change society.
In the film “The Broken Key” by Louis Nero, my character said “Art is a breath of wind that inspires change”… It’s because it stimulates both of our hemispheres: it opens us and pushes us to action, simultaneously.
-When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?
Every time I feel deeply passionate about a topic, there comes a moment when I feel the urgency to make it manifest. Since the acting and performing art is what I have been studying for the longest time, I’ve trasformed these urgencies into a documentary film, a short film, a podcast… simply the forms closest to me.
-What would you change in the world?
I’d like a slower world with less consumerism… and therefore a world where it will be easier to connect between human beings and with Mother Nature.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I think there will no longer be cinema as we know it… but, whatever form the story takes, I hope that we return to it just for the sake of growth and knowledge.
– Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
When I was ten, I was deeply moved by “Beauty and the Beast,” a cinematic masterpiece created by the unrivaled French poet Jean Cocteau. It was a pivotal moment for me as I realized the profound impact of cinema in bringing fantastical stories to life through tangible visuals. The sheer magic of cinema, with its ability to breathe life into the realms of imagination, truly captivated me and ignited my creativity— the whimsical stories swirling in my mind could one day grace the silver screen. Over the years, this film experience has left an indelible mark on me, greatly influencing and shaping my passion for writing.
– When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and a film project?
The genesis of my screenplay stemmed from a fascinating incident involving my sister’s encounter with my doppelgänger, coupled with a thought-provoking 2013 article on the British government’s concerns about the spread of Chinese Triad gangs in London. These personal anecdotes and real-world issues provided a strong foundation for the screenplay, infusing it with a depth that later struck a chord with readers and judges. The acclaim it garnered has driven me to continuously refine and elevate the script’s quality to attract a director’s interest in turning it into a film.
In this context, my best endorsement comes from The Newyorker Indie Critic’s Choice Awards: “The Dead Ringer is a screenplay of extraordinary originality. The characters are all developed with a style reminiscent of the great tradition of Hollywood screenwriters from the 1950s, although Suzanne Lutas has created a very modern type of screenplay. We believe that “The Dead Ringer” could one day also become a film. The screenwriter’s creativity is a guarantee of quality. We are confident that the project, accompanied by a good Film Pitch Deck, will attract the interest of various productions and distributors.”
– Is there a person you would like to thank for helping you bring your project to life?
I am deeply grateful for Dan Calvisi’s invaluable guidance and mentorship, whose screenwriting Master Class was instrumental in shaping The Dead Ringer. I also want to express my deep appreciation to Producer James Quince for believing in and optioning my script, bringing it one significant stride closer to realization. Lastly, I am thankful for the potential production companies that will support and invest in this project.
– Do you think the Wild Filmmaker Community is helping to turn your dream into a reality?
I am expressing my deepest gratitude to the Wild Filmmaker Community for their unwavering support in helping me bring my aspirations closer to fruition. This community has served as an invaluable platform, enabling my script to gain recognition and accolades at prestigious festivals across the globe. Their dynamic and encouraging environment has been pivotal in my project’s growth and ultimate success.
In the coming days, Oscar-winner Nick Vallelonga, in partnership with the Matera International Film Festival, will present his latest short film, “The Shadowlands,” together with Wild Filmmaker. One of the actors in the cast is Dante Palminteri, who has given an exclusive interview to Wild Filmmaker today.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Wild Filmmaker, I am very happy to welcome Dante Palminteri to our community. He is a talented young actor and guitarist raised in Brooklyn and the son of the renowned Chazz Palminteri, whose work I have always admired, particularly “A Bronx Tale,” directed by Oscar-winner Robert De Niro but written and performed by the great Chazz Palminteri himself.
-Who is Dante Palminteri?
I am a man who always had stories in his head. Even when I was a kid I remember always writing stories. I was captivated by the cinema and the art of filmmaking. The ability to see a world unfold always drew me in immediately. Being able to be transported through time and space was fascinating.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
I grew up on movie sets and in theaters. Cinema was always a giant cornerstone of my life. I was constantly flooded with the greatest actors and movies of all time which made me passionate about the art of cinema. There was never one moment I fell in love with filmmaking rather it was something that was always there since my early childhood.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Yes, I think cinema can have a tremendous effect on society. Art is able to speak to us on a level that nothing else can. It has the ability to make us examine our souls and long for something we didn’t even know we wanted.
-When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?
This short was brought to my attention by Nick. I always know when I read a good part because I instantly feel a connection to the character. And I knew speaking to Nick that we were of the same mindset. He has the best sense of story telling and was committing to making a really great film. The man is a master at making something with very little recourses. He has the best imagination.
-What would you change in the world?
I would change how divided our world is. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder and be brothers and sisters.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I want to see the film industry gravitate back toward story driven projects. I love the big tent pole blockbusters but nothing can compare to the classic movies that just told a simple and great story. What’s better then when you walk out of the theatre and you are different from the way you walked in.
I am asked this question a lot. Most people want me to just say I am the nephew of, brother of, cousin of. No need, the people asking me this question will do that for me anyway, whether I like it or not. The best way for me to answer this question is to imagine me standing in front of the Great Wizard of Oz, hearing the booming voice of the almighty Wizard asking me “WHO ARE YOU?” and I calmly respond, “who are you?” I became a composer and filmmaker to distract myself from an incredibly dark and painful childhood. My early student work was very original, poetic, and philosophical. Then, I did something that truly wasn’t me. I tried my hand at “Hollywood.” I made the film “Deadfall” with big-name actors which ended up destroying my “Hollywood” career. I was called the “the Ed Wood (I like Ed Wood) of the Coppola family” and other creative names like “The Coppola who made Dreadfall.” I thought that was a cute one: “Dreadfall” instead of “Deadfall.” It was a blessing in disguise in the end though. After Deadfall I raised money through my own film company Plaster City Production/Post-Production with zero famous family help and made 13 more films with my own mixed genre, “Sacred and Profane, funny but serious” signature films. I was labelled “The Rebel/Pirate of the Coppola family.” That suited me just fine. Later, I also became a film teacher. I traveled the world using my 33 years of filmmaking experience to show underserved non-filmmakers how to use cinema syntax so they can share their stories with the rest of the world in a visually articulate manner. This way more people will understand their movies even without dialogue. For me, there are far better silent movies than talkies made in terms of percentage. I remember a young boy in Punto Gorda, Belize came up to me when I was doing one of my Christopher Coppola: Think It, Shoot It, Share It workshops. He wanted to participate but didn’t think he could. I asked him why not. He said he wasn’t a filmmaker but would like to be. I said who says you’re not a filmmaker. Do you dream, do you remember moments in your life, do you see people and things you love or hate? He said yes. I said then that’s where you begin as a storyteller, never mind filmmaking. That is only a medium. I gave him the theme “What is Beauty?” with an assignment to make a one-minute film about what the theme “What is Beauty?” meant to him. The three rules were no-talking, no editing/all-in-camera and exactly one minute. I gave him a Flip pocket camera, showed how to use and told him to bring it back to me tomorrow morning at 9:00am sharp. When he came back to show me his film I was amazed. His one-minute film started with a medium shot that pushes in towards a beautiful leaf on the ground, then a little hand turns it over revealing a close-up of crushed beer can. I looked at him and thought this boy was better than most professional filmmakers I knew using visual symbols to share his thoughts. I asked him why this is beauty to him. He said he loved nature but also loved to play kick the can event though it was with ugly trash. That was the only soccer ball he had. He thanked me for letting him be a filmmaker. I thanked him for participating, truly blown away by his pure, innocent, humble filmmaking. He won the one-minute film contest having the online public votes, partly because it was a nice, steady moving shot but also because of the clarity of what he thought beauty was to him. The audience understood. I then became the Director of the film department and an Associate Professor of film at the San Francisco Art Institute rebel art school founded in 1871. I became more like a “Rebel Filmmaker with a Cause.” That answers the question “Who is Christopher Coppola?” the best.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
I would say it was when I was a young boy in Long Beach, California. There was a children’s TV show called “Kukla, Fran, and Ollie.” A nice lady and her hand puppets would help you feel good about yourself, then they would introduce and screen a movie sometimes great films like “The Red Balloon” and “The Little Fugitive. Once, they showed the 1962 independent movie called “Tiko and the Shark.” I am going by memory because I was only ten and have never seen it again. It’s about an island boy, Tiko, who saves a baby tiger shark and feeds it until it gets stronger. When he let the shark go, it kept coming back to him. They had made an animal and human spiritual bond. I loved that a dangerous animal could love a boy and vice-versa. As the shark got bigger it often disappeared but the boy would tap the water at the shore and wait. Soon, his brother Shark would hear it and swim over to him. Tiko would tell his brother Shark about his day. He wanted to introduce him to his new girlfriend, Diana. The three of them swam together under the water. It was so beautiful. Two humans and a dangerous tiger shark swimming together under the sea as good friends. (I just discovered this was a real shark too, not like the obviously fake shark in Jaws much later). Other islanders were worried about the large sharks around the island. Kiko and Diana thought their shark would be killed. Tiko told his brother Shark he needed to be careful. He attached a white kite with twine to his friends’ tail, saying now they will know you are Tiko’s bother Shark. They watched their brother Shark swim away, the white kite soaring above him. This hooked me on film. Soon after with the help of my father I eagerly moved on to Fellini, Welles, Kurosawa, Dreyer, Ford, Huston, etc.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Sincere cinema, from the heart to the heart cinema, honest cinema, with something to say, absolutely. Typical cotton candy Hollywood fair, though occasionally fun, no. It’s all about the dollar and the business.
-When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?
That’s a tough question because many of my student experimental music and film works still resonate with me today like my opera “Plato’s Cave” and my poetic philosophical film “Plato’s Cave.” They were deep in my mind and heart, and I wanted to share Plato’s philosophy my way. You had to think, participate and feel to understand. I was proud that I brought these ideas to life as romantic San Francisco bohemian. I don’t think I have made my personal “Opus One” film yet. Oddly, Deadfall was a film that stewed inside me as well, then became a screenplay, then a film. At first, it was called “Nothing’s Sacred.” Nick Vallelonga and I were close friends back then just trying to write something together that made sense for me to use all my famous contacts and to direct. Nick was a great writer, obviously still is, and I respected him. He also loved a screenplay I wrote for my Aunt Talia Shire called “Juliana Pastrana,” the true story about a woman who danced and sang but looked like a gorilla. The respect was mutual. Nick, close non-famous family, and many other close friends and collaborators, could see how intense it was for me to be part of a famous family, for better or worse, I had no choice to be part of the Coppola family because of family blood whether I wanted to be or not. I mean the name Coppola meant absolutely nothing to anybody when I was a boy but when the masterpiece The Godfather came out everything changed. I didn’t know who my real friends were anymore and who was just using me to get to my uncle, my brother, and my more famous cousins. Deadfall was a story that centered around how I felt being a Coppola in Hollywood. The period before writing Deadfall I was filled with self-doubt. Even had a nervous breakdown. I was already criticized for the film I made for Dino DeLaurentis; the 2 million dollars budgeted “Dracula’s Widow.” I was 25 years old fresh out of art school. It was recently rediscovered and complimented on how I made a color noir film with my use of primary colors and stylized shots. “Dracula’s Widow” is a far better film than “Deadfall.” Partly because both films were made on a similar budget but one without big name stars and other with big-name stars who still had to be paid their large fees. Take note: never make a low-budget film with big-name stars. They will just use your film as a playground. Yet, the Deadfall film that was in my head was important to me. Cathartic to me. Nothing’s Sacred, trust no one including your own family. In an operatic way (I love tragic opera), it was a story of a son/nephew trying to understand the father/uncle complex. They were both big parts of my life both good and bad. In some ways, it became a blur. After consuming many Jim Thompson pulp novels, I told Nick we should use the noir grifter genre. We wrote it quickly and added homages like the cigar moment in “Papillion,” How did you know it wasn’t contagious I didn’t” moment. I love doing homages. Nick and I looked at a lot of great movies together. Nick and I are very knowledgeable about film history. Big-name actors became curious, including Val Kilmer. I was going to make my first Hollywood film with a real budget. But in the end, it didn’t have a budget after Val Kilmore walked and Deadfall became a no-budget “bargain basement” film trying to be a Hollywood film. It would have been far better with no famous actors being an ensemble. One very nice moment for me though was I received a message on my answering machine from Clint Eastwood. It was a few hours before “Deadfall’s” disastrous Hollywood premiere. Mr. Eastwood said he was sorry he couldn’t make it but wished me good luck. I am a huge Sergio Leone fan, especially his Spaghetti Western classics starring Eastwood, the man with no name. It was like a western film God leaving me a message. I am so thankful he didn’t come. What started in the mind, the distrust, and the sadness inside, became a good script but ended up a terrible film. “Deadfall” is now a successful cult flick mainly because of Nick Cage’s over-the-top crazy performance. The punk rock band “Snot” even wrote a song called “Deadfall.” I have many battle stories about all my films and how I finished them regardless of obstacles. My long-time film producer, respected writer on film genres Alain Silver and I are currently working on a book about cinema with baggage. “Deadfall” has a big chapter. It will be very entertaining.
-What would you change in the world?
Who am I to change anything? I can say I wish people would understand there’s room at the table for everyone if we treat each other with respect, compassion, and dignity. If not, everyone slips through the cracks regardless of who you are.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
When film was an art form it’s early days, the silent era, they were experimenting with close-ups, moving shots, dissolves, color tinting, and visual magic tricks. The classic theater world laughed and said it would never take off. And it was a disgrace that theater actors and directors would even mess around with this creative inferior upstart, soon to be the most powerful, art medium in the world. Later, the same happened. When digital, new media, 360, volumetric, etc was being experimented film purists were angry. The concept of cinema is ever changing and if older filmmakers don’t change with it, we are not going to be able to share our stories with younger generations and be left behind. We need to evolve, we need to share our stories to our younger generations, so you can pass down your own stories and wisdom. Younger generations will decide where cinema is going, not us. We need to remember the video game business is far bigger than the film industry and music industry combined and makes a ton more money. That’s why so many Hollywood films are just teasers for the soon-to-be-released video games. I was the one who said film is dead 30 years ago when I as speaking at the Los Angeles HD Expo. Even though I was laughed at for suggesting there will be a new electronic cinema, I was obviously right. Where will cinema be in hundred years? Maybe they will be tactile, you can taste and smell, even live in and interact with characters, become one the characters, plugged-in cinema. In the end though, you still must have an honest, meaningful story and be able to tell it at the campfire, digital or not.
-Do you remember the exact moment you feel in love with cinema?
My father introduced me to films as a young child, and we spent many days together in a darkened theatre. I was in awe of what I was seeing up on the screen. Afterwards, I would play with my model cars, setting them up like a scene out of film. This led to making hundreds of Super 8 films. From the age of about 8 I would sneak out of bed late at night and watch the old the horror/Sci-fi films on the television. In Australia we had a wonderful program called ‘Creature Feature’ which showcased all the old horror/sci-fi classics from the 1950’s and 60’s. I was fascinated. When I was about 13 years of age, my father and I did a film appreciation course together at Sydney University. Watching such films as the Russian masterpiece, Battleship Potemkin, and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis – I was definitely hooked! But I think the first film that left a major impact on me was when I was nine years old, and I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey on the big screen. I knew then I wanted to make films.
-When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?
I’ve always had a passion for telling stories. The original idea for REMNANT was conceived as a short story called “After Grace” in 2014. I wrote the original draft and then realised that I couldn’t do justice to the story and the characters in that format, so I had to expand the scope in all areas. It took me five years, but I had to honour the characters I had written. There were still rewrites up until we started filming in 2022. With each rewrite, the characters became more three dimensional, the story became richer and more atmospheric.
-Is there a person you would like to thank for helping you bring your project to life?
Firstly, I would have to say my wonderful wife Sandie, who has been my greatest supporter throughout the making of REMNANT. And, secondly, I would like to thank Andrew Davis my producing partner, who has been there since the beginning of this long journey to the screen. His support and dedication to REMNANT have been integral to the completion and success of this production. Finally, the film wouldn’t have come together without Mason Grady, my Director of Photography, and Visual Effects guru, whose incredible work on the film brought my vision to life.
-Do you think the Wild Filmmaker Community is helping to turn your dream into a reality?
The Wild Filmmaker Community has been amazing! I’ve entered a lot of Festival’s through other platforms, but I would have to say, that the impact my film REMNANT has achieved through the Wild Filmmaker community has elevated my film to another level. The encouragement and support of the Wild Filmmaker platform is pivotal for independent filmmaker’s trying to gain exposure throughout the world. They have a lifelong loves the history of cinema, and this translates to their amazing support of independent film makers like myself.
– Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
My passion for cinema didn’t happen at a single moment. It was built up over many remarkable experiences. I was born in Presidente Prudente, in the country side of São Paulo, but spent part of my childhood in Paraná, where my father, a farmer, settled on a farm. When I was seven years old, I went to live with my father’s friends in Londrina, where I saw a television for the first time. It was 1964, and I was most struck by the Disney series “Zorro”, which premiered in the very year I was born. Those adventures enchanted me deeply.
A year later, I went back to school in my hometown and, next to the school, there was a movie theater. On Sundays, there were matinees, and I became a regular. Since then, images of endless frames have circulated in my mind. As a teenager, I continued to go to the cinemas, being enchanted by the spaghetti westerns with Giuliano Gemma and Bud Spencer and, of course, Chaplin, whose work inspired me to become a mime.
But movies like ‘Papillon’, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, struck me in a different way; I watched it more than ten times. The acting of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, the photography and Dalton Trumbo’s script continue to intrigue me to this day. Another movie that had a big impact on me was “The Bridges of Madison County”, especially for the performances of Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. Clint, by the way, has always been a great inspiration, especially because of his work philosophy: the decision to produce, write, direct and play his own films because he knew that no other director would give him the characters he wanted to play. And more recently, his answer to the secret of maintaining so much energy to keep working at over 90: “Be busy and never let the old man in the house”. It’s a philosophy I’ve also adopted as a life motto.
– When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?
The COVID-19 pandemic left deep scars on my soul and, above all, on my heart. It was a time of intense challenges, where I found myself plunged into a deep depression. This moment of internal conflict forced me into a necessary introspection, to look inside myself and understand the complexity of the human soul. This process of self-knowledge became essential for my reinvention, helping me to discover new ways of expressing my creativity and transforming pain into art.
Creativity became my anchor, which kept me alive, active and haughty, especially when exploring the contrasts between the beautiful and the ugly, the normal and the absurd. During this period, “Doctor Hypotheses” was born, a film that I consider almost prophetic about the atrocities of the pandemic. It brings a current, poignant, thought-provoking and innovative narrative language, exploring the trajectory of a man who calls himself Doctor and creates a clinic with dolls to serve him.
The movie gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in an inspired performance, surrendering myself to the passionate imbalance of this character in a game of possession, love, hate and seduction. “Doctor Hypotheses” was born out of my desire to give voice to these intense emotions that the pandemic has aroused in all of us and to reflect on the psychological and emotional impact of this challenging period. By turning this story into a script and then into a movie, I found a way to deal with my own emotions and, at the same time, connect with the audience through a powerful and meaningful narrative.
– Is there a person you would like to thank for helping you bring your project to life?
I don’t have a single person to thank, but an infinite list of people and professionals who have helped me bring my projects to life: Giustino Marzano, a great master, founder of Piccolo Teatro in São Paulo. I studied under him and his teachings formed the foundation of my career, forming the basis of my understanding of the craft and art of storytelling. I am also grateful to Walter Avancini, the wizard of Brazilian television, whose innovations and creative approaches to audiovisual storytelling have deeply inspired me. Domingos de Oliveira, another master who inspired me in the art of exploring the nuances of the human soul in my work. Clint Eastwood is an international reference I greatly admire, especially for his work philosophy and continuous energy, which encourage me to always seek out new challenges and projects. Finally, my father, José Vicentini, a farmer who always faced adversity with courage and determination. He taught me the importance of renewing oneself every day, always seeking new horizons, no matter how difficult the journey. His willingness and resilience are daily inspirations, both in life and in art. I would also like to thank my friends, collaborators and partners who, with their energy and support, make the process of creating and realizing my projects possible.
– Do you think the Wild Filmmaker Community is helping to turn your dream into a reality?
The Wild Filmmaker Community is a channel for communicating and spreading the dreams of independent filmmakers, offering a vital platform for giving visibility to projects and creating spaces where our voices can be heard and valued. For those who often face challenges such as lack of resources and restricted access to major media outlets, this visibility is essential, allowing for a rich exchange of ideas, experiences and collaborations, celebrating the diversity of stories and perspectives that is fundamental to the growth and innovation of independent cinema, connecting us to a global network of passionate professionals, creating opportunities for collaboration and exchange, allowing us to showcase our authentic and meaningful stories, keeping passion and creativity alive in cinema.
