Author: Dreamate Demo

-Who is Henry Chebaane?

I’m a curious ape on a spinning rock, orbiting the sun at a speed of 30 kms per second, while travelling back and forth in time. This dizzying trip makes me anxious to use each day creatively to optimise every precious second. So, I try to transcend normative boundaries and explore ideas through a variety of artistic media. I’m a fiction author with a first graphic novel published and two more on the way through my production studio Supanova Media, with which I also write songs and produce electronic music under the alias LX8. Beside this, I’m also a lighting, product, graphic and interior designer with over 20 years of experience through my experiential branding agency Blue Sky Hospitality. I’ve worked on numerous projects worldwide from Alaska to Korea, Iceland to India, Tuscany to Kazakhstan. That being said, I’m just a humble philosophy student, privileged to be able to observe, think, feel, manifest, and share ideas and emotions with the public by using a large variety of creative media. I take constant inspiration from the diversity of people on our amazing planet and the wondrous energy that forms the substrate of our reality.

-What inspired you to become a Filmmaker?

It’s been a gradual process. I was born and grew up in Paris, where I watched a myriad of arthouse movies and ‘films d’auteur’. Many were French but also Italian, Spanish, and German. This diet combined with reading a stream of relevant books piqued my interest in intimate drama and characterisation, not just of people but also of places and buildings. When I moved to London almost 40 years ago, I was fortunate to learn more, by being exposed to a completely different type of storytelling. The Anglo-American approach tends to favour a more formalised structure, driven by the writing of luminaries like Aristotle, Robert Mc Kee, and Joseph Campbell. I’m self-taught in architecture and set design so was able to apply immediately my own theatrical vision to each commercial project. For example, in 2002, my first restaurant design in Warsaw was inspired by the work of playwright Witold Gombrowicz. More recently, my design for the Parisi Udvar restaurant Budapest was used as set in the American horror thriller ‘The Invitation’ (2022); and my designs for the Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid were used throughout the eight episodes of the Netflix Sci-Fi spy thriller ‘In from the cold’ (2022).

But the tipping point into filmmaking might have been the recent creation of a London boutique hotel called The Gyle. It is a conversion of 19th century heritage-listed townhouses in King’s Cross, Camden. During my research into the history of the area, a story formed in my mind. I took screenwriting classes and wrote a TV pilot. During the same period, I started reading more graphic novels as research into storyboarding. And then, one night, inspiration struck me in a way I didn’t expect. An entire, epic novel came fully formed in dream, with plot, casting, dialogues, wardrobe, locations, props, even the soundtrack! This story wanted to come out. So, I commissioned a very experienced comic artist called Stephen Baskerville and produced the first volume. It’s now published as The Panharmonion Chronicles: Times of London. The story is about a multi-cultural female music composer who struggles with a conflicted identity, a traumatic past and repressed supernatural abilities while fighting a violent supremacist cult through Time. Because the hero is a music composer, I wanted to try another creative experiment by learning music production and making several tracks under the same artist alias as the story protagonist: LX8. Then, I wrote the script for a music video, directed, and acted in it. I play the role of the author wandering in his own imagination, inside the world of the novel. By shooting the music video in The Gyle, which is the main plot location for my novel, I close a narrative loop and open another one into an infinitively recursive universe. Although it is an experimental short film, The Panharmonion Chronicles: Times of London has already received several awards, for which I’m grateful.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Yes, it does and has done so many times already. Like literature, cinema is a powerful medium. It enables the audience to test and experience facets of reality that might not always be familiar, possible, or comfortable. Cinema allows society to explore and interrogate its own consciousness, ethics, and behaviours by placing the viewer in a hypothetical situation: what if…? This is the reason why cinema (and books) are often the targets for censorship from special-interest groups and state-control.

-What would you change in the world?

Well, this is a vast subject perhaps beyond the scope of this interview, but I will try to give a short answer. If I could change one thing, I would make access to universal knowledge free and unlimited to all humans. Knowledge brings insights, context, awareness and therefore empathy. It puzzles me that 5,000 years since the ability to share complex thoughts in writing, humanity has not developed a common understanding of the world. Reality is causality. This is why stories are so essential to being human. We live in a complex, entangled web of reciprocity with other beings. We must cooperate to live a peaceful existence, by listening, watching, and respecting other people. Everyone, not just humans. Maybe filmmaking is the ideal tool for this as it is a medium that transcends linguistic barriers.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

Naturally, there are many possible branches in the road ahead. We can all speculate wildly but I personally think that, like books, cinema is an irreplaceable art form and storytelling instrument. I feel very grateful that streamers like Netflix have opened channels for us to access filmmaking from an increasingly large proportion of the world. If no catastrophic event put a stop to it, the spread of global filmmaking can only make humanity more enlightened and benevolent as it progresses into the future.

-Who is Victoria Napolitano?

I am a person who loves old movies and films…where glitz and refinement filled every scene. I really miss when Hollywood stars dazzled on the big screen, looking their best in lavish outfits, conveying so much with a simple looking their eyes. I’d was captured by those tough, silent leading men and sexy women who just oozed intrigue. I would really let my imagination go wild. I’d stare up at the screen, trying to figure out what made those men and femme fatales tick. Getting lost in those old black-and-white movies was the best escape.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

There are two films from my childhood that I revisit annually. One is the 1939 film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. The Gothic romanticism and emotional turmoil depicted in this cinematic rendering of the literary classic continues to profoundly affect me years later. For those with a passion for cinematic films, this film provides an experience well-suited to cozy viewing. Another influential work altering my perspective on the craft of filmmaking was the 1956 French picture The Red Balloon, winner of an Academy Award. With sparing use of dialogue-mere sentences at most-I found myself enthralled by the emotional responses elicited.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I think change begins when filmmakers move away from preaching and imitating the work of other filmmakers. Over the years, I have interviewed numerous individuals, but recently I have found that the idea of educating and entertaining the audience has become extremely stale. Producing 50 remakes of the same successful movie will not guarantee its success again. Statistics show that people are watching more of the older shows than the newer ones. As I mentioned before, it’s because at that time things were fresh, new, and original.

-What would you change in the world?

I am confident that we can overcome the current divisiveness we are facing. In my childhood, I was exposed to a multitude of cultures and nationalities, and I recall people being more collaborative and supportive of one another. I held onto the belief that the world would continue to improve, and I was hopeful for the future. However, today’s atmosphere is characterized by anger and hostility towards differing viewpoints, which is detrimental to society. Ultimately, if we do not unite, no one wins in the long run.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

The concept of film as we currently understand it will undergo a significant transformation in the future. It is certain that filmmakers will be extensively examined and scrutinized in order to better understand the passion that they possess and the incredible creativity that some filmmakers (as well as writers) exhibit in our contemporary society. Future generations will thank you for the shards of beauty and bridges of understanding you leave behind. So, day by day, scene by scene, pour your passion onto the page, into the camera lens, onto film. Not for awards or achievements

to collect, but for the love of the craft itself. For now, is the time you have to create. The fruits of your dedication will ripple into the future in ways you cannot yet imagine. But carry on with faith that your unique voice and vision matter. Let this be your mark.

-Who is Peter Hartwig?
Born in Brisbane Australia, I’m currently 38 years old at the time of this interview. My fascination with art began early; I excelled in oil painting classes at the age of 9 but eventually set it aside for school and sports. Yet, my passion for creating never waned—I’ve explored various art forms. I’ve explored various art forms, from performing in plays and musicals to writing comedy skits for burlesque shows. My professional life as a bodybuilder and coach even blended athletic performance with artistic expression, crafting routines that merge martial arts with interpretive dance.

I have always had a passion for storytelling. Although I returned to painting sporadically in my 20s, it was in my 30s that my artistic endeavours truly deepened, leading to the creation of the ‘Beneath the Soil’ art series. This series inspired my experimental film of the same name, which was honoured with the Best Super-Short Film award at the 8 & Halfilm Awards—a pivotal achievement for me.

At 35, I made the challenging decision to pause my career and attend film school for a year, a choice that impacted my finances and professional trajectory. However, my commitment to art and storytelling is unwavering. It’s an integral part of who I am, and something that will shape aspects of my work and life in the future.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Amongst the different forms of creative expression, I gravitated towards film-making because of the impact that many films have had on me. The accessibility of filmmaking today, where compelling narratives can be brought to life on a shoestring budget, further fueled my interest. My initial inspiration for film-making came from an idea I had that I originally wanted to write as a play. However, as I fleshed out the concept, I realized the potential for a more expansive and unrestricted storytelling medium. Film, with its fewer limitations, offered the perfect canvas to bring my vision to life. This is currently the next film project I’m working on.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Firmly believe in film’s capacity to drive societal change, a phenomenon well-supported by historical evidence. In film’s early days, when resources were limited, many films primarily served to propagate the agendas of the political parties who funded them, showcasing film’s direct role in fostering social transformation. Advertising also demonstrates film’s power to shape societal norms, influencing consumer behaviour and perceptions of status.

Emotionally compelling films subtly yet significantly impact society and culture. They present archetypes that mirror human existence, offering insights into our relationships and inner selves. Through these emotional journeys, films convey nuanced messages that resonate with audiences, potentially shaping societal values.

I think it’s important to highlight important issues within society. However, I don’t like it when it’s completely ‘on the nose’, and it feels like propaganda is being rammed down our throats. I advocate for a nuanced approach over overt didacticism, which risks alienating viewers. When messages are delivered too directly, it can strip audiences of their sense of autonomy, leading to resistance rather than engagement. Conversely, presenting themes through subtle, artful storytelling invites audiences to form their own interpretations. This method fosters a more organic acceptance of ideas, avoiding the pitfalls of feeling coerced or demeaned into adopting a particular viewpoint.

-What would you change in the world?

If I could change anything in the world, I think it would be that everyone had shelter and enough to eat. There is so much disparity in the world. According to experts, there seems to be enough resources to do this, but greed and politics prevent it from being so. It seems simple but obviously a very complex problem.

It’s human nature that if someone obtains something without the mechanisms of defending it, other humans will often take it, so you end up with greed and gluttony ruling over a lot of things. In my art series ‘Beneath the Soil,’ the inaugural piece, ‘Torn,’ touches on these themes. The poem intertwined with the artwork delves into these issues with duality as the central theme. Sometimes it is easy to see what is happening in the world, but I don’t have a magic wand to solve issues like this. If I did, it would be one of the first things I changed first.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I think that Artificial Intelligence will have a huge influence over film in the next 100 years. It is already becoming prominent in it’s early stages within every aspect that involves technology. I think this makes it hard to predict what films will be like in 100 years, but I do believe that they will likely be significantly different to today. Combining this with Virtual reality, who knows where we will end up.

-Who is Bruno Marro?

First of all I’m a musician, a guitarist. I spent my whole life in music.
My father was a trumpeter. He made me listen to all kinds of music from Duke Ellingtone to Chet Baker, through Beatles, Bach or Rossini. He was a great father who always helped and encouraged me in my artistic career.
In my life I have had the good fortune to work with many artists, who have always been very inspiring. Working in the recording industry, I got to know and see many famous musicians at work.
When I left the recording industry, I started my solo career as a musician. I wrote music for cartoons and background for television broadcasts. Over the years I have produced some of my own records, and I have collaborated with many musicians.
In music, I have certainly been influenced by Hendrix, Beatles, Jeff Beck, Bowie and in recent years by Mark Knopfler.
Music is my life and I hope it will go with me to the end.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Making music for many years, it brought me closer to music videos. So I started writing and directing my own music videos.
I was lucky enough to collaborate with professionals, who like me shared my own ideas to achieve the goal.
I love the stories you can wrap up in a few minutes. Two music videos definitely impressed me: “Such a shame” by Talk Talk and “Every Breath you take” by Police
I love this type of narrative, essential but straight to the point you want to get to.
In the movie industry my preferences go to directors like: Billy Wilder, Black Edwards, Ridley Scott, Ken Loach and Tim Burton. I recently saw an exhibition about Tim Burton and it was a fantastic experience.
Music and images are two arts that unite together, arouse strong emotions. But the music can walk on its own, the video without the music, does not have the same shock force.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Well… not sure. Certainly movies can give signals, expose certain situations and reveal uncomfortable things.
The problem remains that independent cinema, the denunciation cinema, the cinema which can provoke changes, is not properly supported. Because for Hollywood, for “big business”, it doesn’t produce money and it’s inconvenient for the topics it deals with. I remember: “Missing” by Costa Gavras. A film that was quite successful. But Hollywood should have awarded Jack Lemmond best actor. But he didn’t, because history was uncomfortable for the United States.
But we must not lose hope that Cinema, can help people to think differently. To open your eyes and see, what is kept hidden.
There are many actors and directors of a certain fame, who have made excellent denunciation films. Only last year, it was released: “Sound of freedom” by Mel Gibson, with Jim Caviezel.
The film was boycotted in all possible ways, but it managed to reach a large part of the audience.
Cinema can bring a change in the society? Let’s not give up and try to make films, that tell the truth. Let’s make people, after seeing a movie, stop and think.

-What would you change in the world?

Funny question. I’m not a baby, not a teenager and I’m not young. I like to define my age in one world: “TeenAged”. I am still a passionate and dreamy guy and I always try to deal with the things in life, with the same spirit as when I was a kid. I often repeat to my son: “Never forget that you were a child”. We must all find that spirit, that wonder in discovering things, that disenchanted way of living the events of our life. Life isn’t as serious as they want us to believe.
In this very difficult period, where the change that we are facing, seems to lead us towards a worse world, without feelings, without humanity, without mercy. We must regain the courage and strength to fight. We must return as children, rediscover the good feelings and the wonder that enveloped our lives back then, and find the courage to fight for humanity.
This I would like to change in the world.
I would like that all peoples, to rediscover the courage to fight for humanity.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

Well very hard to predict. The film industry has changed a lot in the last 10 years, can you imagine in the next 100?. IA, thecnology, resources etc can open new frontiers, but creativity, good ideas, will be as always the ones that will make the difference. It doesn’t matter “where the film industry goes” in the next 100 years. The important thing is that we make good films. Films that convey values. Film that tell the truth, that make people dream and think. Charlie Chaplin didn’t have technology, he didn’t have IA, he didn’t have special effects, but his movies hit everyone at heart. The same for music. The Beatles didn’t have “plugins” that played any sound. They had no midi recorders, but normal 4-track recorders. Yet the music of those years remained in the heart of everyone. Wherever the cinema goes, the important thing is that it strikes people’s hearts with good feelings. What matters is that it gets to people’s brains and makes them think, always telling the truth.

(Picture by: Alberto Alaggio – Art Director: Roberto Da Pozzo)

-Who is Hudley Flipside?

Hudley Flipside is a pseudonym. The name was given to me as a young punk in the early Los Angeles punk rock scene. My last name was Hudson. It was originally “HUD,” and I added the “ley” because many of the punk rock bands, music promoters, fanzines and record labels, and people who corresponded with me back through Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine in the late 1970 and throughout the 1980s, thought I was a guy. Yet my name is symbolic of the more androgynous tendencies or equality for the male and female within myself. It is my punk, author, publisher, and now documentary filmmaker name. I am an anarchist wildflower that grows in the cracks in the city made of stone.

-What inspired you to become a Filmmaker?

It was a progression of my punk rock roots as a natural D.I.Y (DO it yourself) creator that inspired me towards the process of making a documentary film. I did research while in the process of achieving creative momentum as a filmmaker, or how I wished to share the Flipside Fanzine creation narrative. I got a little advice studying my protagonist American film director maker Michael Moore, and even a tidbit from my nemesis, American singer, writer, and spoken word artist Henry Rollins. Michael said you begin your film with what you have around you and Henry said, once in a documentary, that a lot of us original punks did not keep or preserve our stuff and that upset him. I started this narrative creation story film with Michale’s advice, and I was happy to disappoint Henry with a positive to his negative. I have a lot of preserved stuff from my “youthful rebellion days” as a fanatical fanzine punk rock journalist. Hallelujah. The details are not as important, but I worked with Zoom, Adobe Premiere Pro, and many other little willy-nilly D.I.Y and learning as you go was my inspiration to create and become a filmmaker.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Along with my wild nature I also later went to college and took a film course. The book presented to us students was jammed with a history of creative philosophies applied to film perspectives. How can I say this in a positive way, I chose to forget all of that history. I went back to an intimate place where I used to be with punk bands. When we interviewed and taped live shows. I wanted to share the simple voice of someone who was there at the beginning. Books, plays, art and the cinema all share the common truth of “good or bad” storytelling. It does not matter; a story is a story. As any story can inspire, so can the cinema. Now we can sit around our electrical computer fires and create films. The cinema is already changing societies globally.

-What would you change in the world?

I do not want to change anything in the world but myself and how I respond to my environment. By not giving up hope in lieu of the fire of creativity and inspiration.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I have gotten so tired of superhero action films. I have gone back to film noirs, biographies, and simple Perry Mason episodes on TV. I would like to see books stores, big screen theaters and buttered popcorn come back. We live in a world that craves film intimacy that is cheaply priced. An escape from reality for a brief time. That is where I hope the film industry goes in the next one hundred years. I had a dream once where I was in a small house with a hallway leading to doors. I assumed small bedrooms and such. I opened one of the doors to look in and was amazed to find a large theater with a stage. The room was filled with people cheering, crying, and laughing. I walked up the side aisle and found behind the stage a rough, rocky hole that led down into the underworld. It held all those creative feelings of the theater. Mystery, aah and wonder. This is the world of the cinema as well.

I have entered the world of filmmaking, and it is amazing what I am finding, the experience is changing my life in a positive and profound manner.

-Who is Irina Vodar?

I like to think of myself as a storyteller. When I was a kid, I liked to tell scary bedtime stories. It was a gift that made me friends in any setting. I am a film graduate of VGIK (Russian National Film School) and Columbia College, Chicago, U.S. Film Department. My path in entertainment began with Runandgun! Inc. startup in Chicago IL, developing “Duelin’ Firemen!” videogame for 3DO platform in exchange for food and shelter.

At Runandgun! I met a pleiad of iconic American stars; Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Nancye Ferguson, Timothy Leary, Rev. Ivan Stang of the Church of the SubGenius and Rudy Ray Moore, the father of modern rap. My first music video 3D collab “I’ll stick around” was for Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters, following the dissolution of Nirvana at Kurt Cobain’s passing. My newfound set of skills landed me a job in TV advertising in New York City, and shortly after started my career with ABC News.

I am a filmmaker, art director, graphic designer and a former 3D artist, with over twenty years’ experience in film and Broadcast Design. Distinctions range from the 30th Daytime Emmy Award Nomination, to The George Foster Peabody Award, and others.

I always had a passion for filmmaking. I’ve written, produced and directed two indie full-length documentary films during the span of my TV career. My debut doc feature Miss GULAG, produced in association with Neihausen-Yatskova Films on a beauty pageant in a Russian prison for women, premiered at Berlinale 2007 (available on Amazon Prime). The film was praised for its humanistic and compassionate portrayal of the women, as well as its insight into contemporary Russian society.

My second feature doc Anything You Lose, premiered in Los Angeles and New York City in the Fall 2023, and has already garnered 37 awards from 41 international film competitions, and just as many nominations. This breakthrough came as a phenomenal surprise. Anything you Lose has been in the works for 14 years, and is my most difficult, personal, and beloved film. It is a contemporary tale for grownups in a documentary film genre, shot verité style for seven years, and digested and edited in another seven. Once upon a time, there lived Eddie & Irina, and they didn’t have children…

An insight into hopes and dreams, addiction and isolation of ReproTech-enmeshed reality, Anything You Lose is an action-packed adventure of two individuals on the road to finding happiness, meaning of life, and joining in matrimony through a child conceived via ReproTech.

Anything You Lose is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), a recipient of Best Feature Documentary and Best Educational Film Awards from the 8 And HALFilm Awards, among others.

-What inspired you to become a Filmmaker?

I loved the spirit of movie making since I was six years old, when I first saw a film crew working on location. They were filming a period action scene on a rooftop of a house in my courtyard, in the historical city center of Moscow.

…I was sitting by the window looking out at the courtyard. Suddenly, I noticed a man running across a rooftop, balancing on the ledge. He got to the middle of the roof, stopped, took out a revolver and pointed it to the right, then to the left, and then directly at me. I slowly slid below the windowsill for safety and hid there till my parents found me and sent me playing outside in the courtyard.

I stayed close to my building entrance, concerned about the gunman. There, a beautiful blond lady approached me and asked if I saw the film crew. The film crew!!! At that moment, a thousand bells rang in my head. I was spellbound. The next day, they filmed in my building on the staircase landing, and I stayed enchanted for what seemed like an entire 8-hour shift. With every new take they filmed, I took another little step towards the landing. When I was finally right in front of them, I was invited to play in the scene, and ran away. It would have been so blissful, life could end. The act of filmmaking became my secret passion.

Years later, when circumstances made me take up the camera and set it as a shield collecting data of my daily existence, I wrote with that original zeal of a child about bitter aspects of my grown-up life, sustaining leverage, addressing issues and sharing highlights I found to be most valuable, eye-opening, and helpful, things that I thought would resonate.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

All arts come from storytelling by the campfire. It is emotional communication that activates both intellect and visceral receptors. The best storytelling archetype of all times is the journey of A Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Anything You Lose follows that storytelling structure into the underbelly of the Whale, survives, and comes back stronger and wiser to tell the tale, truthfully, and with some street credit.

The beauty of humanity is that we are spontaneity inclined. Ideas penetrate our minds and shift the way we see the world. Each generation chooses to uphold the liberties of progress or fall into conservative retention. Collectively, we see and understand the world, collectively we shift awareness by recognizing a relatable experience that’s binding. All great works of art elicit an emotional reaction and therefore shape the viewer’s world, expanding understanding of ourselves and the place we live in. So, in that sense, every work of art perceived creates the world anew for each exploring individual. And we are many.

-What would you change in the world?

I have great reverence for the mechanics of the universe and would consider notes to the Creator as a form of hubris. But addressing people, I would share a message of unity and perseverance. We are at a boiling point in history where polarities are once again clearly defined, and battles rage over the values of the new millennium. Is it going to be a one-size fits all, or is it going to be a multi-polar world? I believe both individuals and countries have the right to exercise the freedom to choose. I promote establishing connection with the living source in each and every one of us, the source of joy and perseverance that sees us through the trying times, and balances the light and dark within, accepting who we are and moving forward. It is a process that is taking place right now in many, particularly since the COVID-19 period of isolation. There are new voices in the indie film community now leaning towards daily spiritual practice. It takes being honest with yourself and clearing out outdated programming that does not serve us or limits us in any way, granting dignity to every human effort.

…”re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency, not only in its words, but in the silent lines of its lips and face, and between the lashes of your eyes, and in every motion and joint of your body.” -Walt Whitman.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I think in essence it will always be the Hero with a Thousand Faces. We need the stories that can teach us how to overcome the challenges we face in life, achieve success, and enjoy a lifetime of merit.

Technically, I’m sure it will take new forms. It may be the cerebral experience of uploading programs that will look and feel like guided interactive dreams, similar to my childhood stories, with tactile elements build in or simulated directly into the prefrontal cortex. The merge of Science and Biology has just begun.

By Michele Diomà

“Apocalypse Now,” “The Godfather,” “Rumble Fish,” and the highly anticipated film of 2024, “Megalopolis,” are just a few of the titles that have made Francis Ford Coppola one of the most beloved directors of all time.

While his cinema is admired worldwide, few know the origins of the Oscar-winning founder of American Zoetrope, the company that produced “The Family Whistle.”

With this documentary/confession of exceptional historical value, everyone can now discover the cultural references that inspired Francis Ford Coppola and allowed him to create his masterpieces.

“The Family Whistle” takes viewers on a journey into memory with unpublished testimonies from Francis Ford Coppola himself, his daughter, the director Sofia, the highly successful actress Talia Shire, sister of the director of “The Godfather,” his nephew Christopher Coppola, and other personalities who have played central roles in the life and formation of the great director.

Why is “The Family Whistle” a necessary project to see for anyone who loves great cinema?

Throughout history, from the times of Georges Méliès, the artists who have written fundamental pages in cinema history were those who dared to experiment and had the ambition to create an original style.

This innate trait has always belonged to Francis Ford Coppola, who, multiple times in his career, risked bankruptcy to create films without betraying his inspiration.

Ideas that have generated myths of pop culture, such as the characters portrayed by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in “The Godfather,” actors whom Coppola found difficult to cast in 1972, given the production’s reluctance to have them in those roles.

Thanks to the rare nature of the director as a fighter, today, at 84, Francis Ford Coppola, personally investing around $120 million, is ready to return to the forefront of contemporary cinema with “Megalopolis.”

Only by watching “The Family Whistle” can we understand which man Francis Ford Coppola was inspired by to always risk everything to achieve his cinematic ventures.

Without the example of Agostino Coppola, an immigrant from southern Italy in the early 1900s, we would not have the masterpieces signed by Francis.

Who was Agostino Coppola?

Agostino’s story begins like many others, a man searching for a better life who emigrates to the United States, the land of opportunities.Creative, courageous, and with a strong desire for redemption, Agostino Coppola, despite coming from a disadvantaged economic condition and speaking English poorly, managed to integrate into American society and give rise to a true dynasty of artists. This dynasty includes the Oscar-winning composer Carmine Coppola, Francis’ father, the Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage, the professor August Coppola, the radio speaker Marc Coppola, the producer Roman Coppola, the director Gia Coppola, as well as the already mentioned Talia Shire, Sofia Coppola, Christopher Coppola, all protagonists of the international cinematic scene.

The story of Agostino Coppola bears many similarities to the fable of The Little Prince, the literary masterpiece by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The dream of flying higher and higher is common to both stories, teaching us how important it is to always have the courage to be honest with oneself before being honest with others.

You cannot lie to yourself if you want to create a great work of art. As the Little Prince says, “The essential is invisible to the eyes.“

Every true artist tries to tell “that essential,” their soul, which the camera has the magical power to capture.

How did “The Family Whistle” come to life?

“The Family Whistle” is directed by Michele Salfi Russo, an Italian filmmaker and actor who discovered at a very young age that he was related to Francis Ford Coppola.Michele spent several years trying to get in touch with the great American director, a feat he achieved after various difficulties.

A great friendship was born first, followed by an artistic collaboration, which allowed Michele Salfi Russo to become part of the prestigious cast of “The Godfather Part III.” A partnership that years later gave birth to “The Family Whistle,” a documentary that begins in the small town of Bernalda, from which Agostino Coppola left in the early 1900s and culminates in Hollywood.

Selected at the Cannes Film Festival, in the history of cinema documentaries section, “The Family Whistle” continues to win awards worldwide, like the very recent 8 & Halfilm Award, awarded in January 2024, a prize dedicated to the Indie scene whose name is inspired by the masterpiece directed by Federico Fellini.

“If you love great cinema, watching “The Family Whistle” will make you feel like part of that Family.”

-Who is Melanie Belmonte?

I could define myself as a multifaceted artist who constantly seeks to train. Having studied two Degrees, two Masters and four Specializations, in my day to day, I continue to expand my knowledge.As a producer, director, screenwriter, editor and film editor, I have 19 multi-award-winning films to date, with some of them proudly included in the American film book “Short Films: A Non-Exhaustive List of Highly Creative Short” (Orlando-Florida, USA, 2023).As a writer with several international first prizes, my works have been published in more than 65 international collective anthologies, and in 2022, my latest book ‘Catarsis’ was published by Editorial Amarante.As a painter and digital artist, I have exhibited in the USA (New York and Miami) and in Europe (Switzerland, Italy, and Spain). Art is life and my life is art. For more information about my work: https://linktr.ee/melaniebelmonte

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Undoubtedly, the need to transfer my own concept of art to the language of the moving image. I like to work outside the conventional and address a demanding minority audience in order to awaken interest in new situations of perception impossible to pigeonhole and difficult to digest. I enjoy experimenting with technical resources and film editing, in order to explore the possibilities offered by art. Generating, observing and reflecting on new creative proposals is fundamental to continue creating and showing a cinema beyond our gaze, our thoughts and feelings, and our reality, in an effort to expand artistic perception and awareness.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Of course. From a sociological point of view, since the first film projection in 1895, cinema has had a great influence on the way we see the world and the actions of the “masses”. As an agent of change and a reflection of society, whether as artistic or commercial cinema, it is a powerful double-edged tool that feeds on reality to influence it with the aim of raising awareness, sensitizing and reflecting people. Making groups visible, denouncing problems, or educating (informally) by promoting diversity and transmitting intercultural values to the spectator in order to carry out subsequent social changes or revolutions, confirm the capacity of cinema to have an impact on personal values, customs, consumption or reference archetypes by transferring life models or ideals of conduct in the pedagogy of society.

It promotes success, failure, the difference between good and evil… fulfilling a socialization function in the cultural map of the perception and interpretation of reality about, for example, living together as a couple, family breakdown or homosexuality, seeking to authenticate thoughts and behaviors that will be assumed as reasonably valid. However, it cannot be ignored that it is also possible to find negative consequences derived from its influence. An example can be the manipulation and emotional impact -which each individual experiences in a unique way- self-identifying, imitating and projecting harmful situations; developing prejudices generated towards certain mental pathologies; or the use that governments can give to cinema as a gigantic advertising tool that has the power to spread their ideology.

-What would you change in the world?

Rather than responding to what I would change in the world, I think it is more interesting to focus on the need for a highly qualified education, not only to respond to the demands of capitalist production, but to respond to the ability to reflect, question and rebel against the servitude of a system model that is imposed, and by which we seem to have been incapacitated in the field of building the collective imaginary from a democratic, equitable and solidary position in order to materialize a horizon of social and environmental justice, equity and sustainability.

Under the umbrella of education, a greater and more forceful linkage of agents and social movements should be demanded to provoke a sustainable and global change of citizenship in order to transform and improve -with a firm will-, the social, environmental, economic, political and cultural conditions of the world in which we live.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

In a world where technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will revolutionize every social aspect of our lives and has the potential to automate many of the processes involved in the creation of a film, has become a tangible reality in the film industry, shaking its foundations by redefining it from screenwriting to post-production. And this is just the beginning.

Although it is difficult to predict with certainty where the film industry will be heading in the next 100 years, in the short and medium term, it is clear that “movies will be able to adapt to tastes and emotions in real time, changing their plots, characters or even their genre to offer the perfect unique cinematic experience for each viewer. Production processes will become more efficient, there will be new forms of acting (digital actors) and storytelling, and all this could threaten jobs in the film industry and raise ethical questions about authorship and creativity” (Thirtyfive, 2023).In fact, the first film to be made entirely with AI has already been shot, which is a serious warning about the future of cinema.

The film “Maharaja in Denim” (adapted from Khushwant Singh’s bestseller) -created by the India-based startup Intelliflicks Studios, and expected to be released in 2025-, “represents a revolutionary technical leap, as well as the ethical and moral questions it raises about copyright infringement and intellectual property” (Mansilla, 2024). And the fact is that all the elements of the production, from the characters to the locations (with the exception of the script), are generated by artificial intelligence algorithms. On the other hand, I firmly believe that the spectator will play a fundamental role in the future of cinema through inverse experiences that allow him or her to interact with the characters, and by making decisions that affect the development of the plot itself thanks to the use of virtual reality devices. In short, the future of cinema is yet to be written, and everything that seems impossible or science fiction in the present, can undoubtedly become a future reality.

-Who is Travis Andrew Campbell?

I am originally an Actor, as well as an Artist and Athlete in the sport of Boxing. I began Screenwriting shortly after I began acting.

– What inspired you to become a screenwriter?

Like most, I love an “Underdog” story. I had never written a Screenplay before, and after countless auditions and reading hundreds of scripts I had the story for, The Journeymen. Once I began writing it I couldn’t stop until the last line. Since then, screenwriting has been a passion I didn’t know I had.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Powerful cinema has changed my life. The Film “Stand By Me “ along with others have been a large inspiration for everything I do in the Arts. So If cinema had the power to change my societal view, I’m positive it’ll do the same for others.

-What would you change in the world?

I believe change starts with the individual. If everyone’s day is a little brighter after having spoken to, or just meeting you. That’s a better world because of you. We can all help make a change to the world together.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I see a growing demand and need for independent and unrecognized filmmakers along with creenwriters and others. With the acceptance of all walks of life and with the world changing as quickly as it is, I see a lot of new ideas we have yet to see and am honored to be part of it.

-Who is Tiffany Lauren Bennicke?

Funny you should ask…that would be me! 🙂 I was born and raised in Jamaica, and between then and now, I’ve lived in the United States, England, spent months in Denmark and France, and now I’m happily living in Canada. I LOVE traveling and being surrounded by culture and languages that aren’t my own. I love, love, love, history, and I try to go to as many museums as possible when I visit a new country. I really enjoy learning about a country’s history, what happened there, understanding why the people there are the way they are, and how their culture manifested. I drink copious amounts of green tea, I’m vegan, and I am the proud guardian to a Bengal kitten. I relish spa days, showers, and baths – feeling clean and seeing my house clean are easily some of my favorite feelings. Some of my favorite TV Shows are: Succession, The Crown, Handmaids Tale, The Expanse, The Great, Game of Thrones (and I’m excited for all the prequels and sequels to G.O.T.!)

I habitually watch John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah (when he was on The Daily Show) I have no knowledge of sports cars (a Hybrid SUV is perfectly sufficient for me!) and I am clueless about sports – you don’t want me on your sports team! Haha!

However, I take great pleasure in free-diving (it feels a bit like bird-watching to me, but underwater with sea-life and corals) and just swimming in general…swimming in lakes, oceans, and naturally occurring bodies of water makes me very happy.

-What inspired you to become a screenwriter and an actress?

I never imagined I’d be a screenwriter to be honest, but after some gentle persuasion from my husband and a friend of ours, I realized I have stories to tell. From my childhood in Jamaica to who I am today, I feel as if I’ve lived many different lives. Those closest to me have seen multiple and varied versions of me. At the heart of it, I’ve always been me, but in different professions, different cultures, different friend groups, different languages – I have friends I physically spent every day with for months, where entire conversations were facilitated through Google Translate on our phones. I write because of life experience, and because I have something to say.

I feel the same way with acting – I act, because I have something to say and stories to tell.

Telling important stories will always be my highest priority, and I can only hope that I’ll be able to portray them as respectfully, authentically and honestly as possible.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Yes and no. It was once thought that illiteracy and inaccessibility to books, encyclopedias and information, was the only cause for ignorance. Literacy rates worldwide have increased in the last hundred years, and education levels have improved with it. But today, even with all the worlds information at our fingertips and attainable by smart phone, misinformation and lack of good sense and judgement still flourish. I do believe cinema can inspire change for good, and bring awareness to issues we’d otherwise not be aware of. Controversial cinema does a great job of this, as suddenly the film or tv show in question, gets mainstream publicity as well. So, can cinema bring about change in society? Awareness, absolutely. Change? Yes, but not always.

-What would you change in the world?

Ha! That’s a fully loaded question. If I were to try and name everything, this paragraph would turn into a library. I would love to see an end to wars, mass shootings and world hunger. The gender wage gap closed and women with equal rights internationally. Accessible healthcare, as well as clean air, water, and shelter for everyone. I would love to see racism eradicated, a positive change in perception around mental health, and the idea that you can’t love or marry the person you love, extinguished. The world we live in is an incredibly beautiful, and diverse place. We as a species have defied the odds, walked on the moon, eradicated what once were incurable diseases, and are capable of many more awe-inspiring things…but we have SO much work to do as far as positive changes in the world and our international community.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

So many compelling things enter my mind when thinking of this question…but I believe we are on the brink of an exciting new frontier. Filmmakers may increasingly begin to use Virtual Reality technology for immersive, cinematic experiences. Audiences might be able to be fully immersed and interact with the story. The traditional flat screen that we’re used to, might be replaced with holographs or 3D projections, with some hyper-realistic CGI. Re-enactments of historical events could be recreated in an entirely new, sophisticated way. The film industry today is already beginning to prioritize diversity and inclusive talent, and I feel that as filmmaking becomes more globalized, this will continue well into the future. I feel that streaming would continue to dominate – we may see the emergence of new streaming platforms, and more specified platforms. All of this of course is speculation, but we’re already seeing glimpses of what’s to come. Whether any of this of openly embraced or not, I feel that it is all inevitable and it’s coming, and the best thing that we can do, is adapt.