-Who is Angelo Donzella?
I am a person who deeply loves film and music, and I have devoted my whole life to these two passions. I began in 1982, playing as a guitarist in various bands then, in 1983, I moved on to cultivate the art of photography and later in 1993, the art of filmmaking. I began as an actor, acting in many feature and short films. This activity gave me many satisfactions. For example, with the 2020 short film ISOLATION – for which in addition to acting as the lead actor I shared my first experience in directing, together with director Roberto Loiacono – I won many awards as Best Actor.
ISOLATION was made during the first lockdown of 2020. I worked at home during the lockdown, with the help of my wife, making the entire first part of the short film. At the end of the lockdown the second part of the short film was made with the help of Director Roberto Loiacono, who was in charge of directing relatively to the final part, editing and production.
After Isolation I continued my activity as an actor. 2022 is the year I made my second work as a director (this time only): it is the short film Jasmine’s Suspicion, a “Spy Movie.”
In January 2023 my wife Maria Rosaria Scicchitano, whom I consider my right-hand man (she is in charge of writing, screenwriting and acting) writes UNEASE, a project that is made in the space of only one month of intense work and is then presented in various International Festivals.
A key role in the realization of UNEASE can be attributed to musician Paolo Cercato, who sent me the soundtrack before I even went to the set. Listening to his music inspired me greatly in researching and creating the atmosphere I wanted to imprint on the short film.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Just acting did not give me the feeling of completeness, I felt the need to express my feelings through images and, loving photography, I felt the desire to experience something new. Some directors made me fall in love with cinema, to name just a few, among my favorites I can mention Michael Mann, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Jim Jarmusch, Clint Eastwood…. They are a source of continuous admiration for me. I am also a collector of films and of course music CDs. I spend much of my free time watching movies, TV series and listening to music, constantly looking for new inspiration.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I like to think so, there are movies that left their mark and make you think, although I think fundamentally you need to be endowed with great personal sensitivity.
I remember years ago the movie “In the Name of the Father,” by Jim Sheridan, with a terrific Daniel Day Lewis, made a big impression on me. That story remained etched in my memory. This is just one example; many other movies left their imprint on me.
-What would you change in the world?
A really difficult question to answer. I wish so many things would change in the world, sometimes I have a feeling of helplessness, for not being able to do anything. The first thing that comes to mind is the desire for a world where peace reigns, but as I said I think a lot of things should change. I love nature and animals, and I like to think that sooner or later we can change our attitude toward the creatures that accompany us in this beautiful experience that is life.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
To be honest I am a little bit pessimistic about the quality of cinema in recent years, I see few really interesting products. I am not talking about the technical level: by now with the new film equipment it is “easy” to get films of high technical quality, but I notice that less and less importance is attached to the content, which I often find uninteresting.
In recent years TV series have taken over and in some cases have even surpassed the films in circulation, I am talking about Series like Lost, 24, Breaking Bad, True Detective, Fargo, etc.
I don’t mind this, because I love TV series, the problem, in my opinion is that lately more space is being given to quantity over product quality.
