22/04/2005 - He speaks 5 languages, he was a martial arts champion and the unusual western face of Hong Kong cinema. He made his debut in Italian cinema in 1998

He speaks 5 languages, he was a martial arts champion and the unusual western face of Hong Kong cinema. He made his debut in Italian cinema in 1998 with Piccoli maestri by Daniele Luchetti. Then, Giorgio Pasotti starred in The Last Kiss by Gabriele Muccino, and the TV series Distretto di polizia. The actor is back on the big screen in 2004 with two unusual parts for Italian cinema. Davide Ferrario called him to play Martino, the star of Dopo mezzanotte, a small film that won over the public at the Berlinale.

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Tell us about Martinos character.
Dopo mezzanotte is a declaration of love for the cinema at the end of the celluloid era and the start of the digital age. Its also a love story, a sort of Jules and Jim, with characters who are very different to each other. Martino is 25, hes clumsy and uncommunicative. Whereas his peers have opened up to the world, hes decided to withdraw. He becomes the night security guard at the Mole Antonelliana, and this the Cinema Museum, a decision taken more through his desire to withdraw than by his film buff inclinations. That fantastic realm becomes his kingdom, and cinema becomes his main way of approaching the world.

So much so that at one point he becomes a director...
Yes. He shoots a small film with a 1920s camera: he edits shots of daily life together with archive footage of Turin. He shows the film to Barbara, the girl who is taking refuge in the Mole, as a way of declaring his love for her.

What references did Davide Ferrario give you?
The point of reference was Buster Keaton. Davide brought me lots of his films. The performance was a game of movement and body. I had to learn how to measure my movements to find the right combination mixing the surreal without compromising the credibility of the character. The tremendous control I have learnt to have over my body through my martial arts training really helped me a lot.