13/02/2008

"The challenge of this film was to depict a character sitting on a bench in the middle of a park,” said director Antonello Grimaldi in speaking to the press about Quiet Chaos [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Antonello Grimaldi
interview: Domenico Procacci
film profile] (see Focus), his fifth feature film, which screened today to a packed house today in official competition at the Berlinale.

The numerous international press received the film – a story of an executive who after the death of his wife spends his days in front of his daughter’s school – with applause of conviction if not exactly enthusiasm, and afterwards crowded the press conference.

"The main theme here is mourning, which becomes a pretext for the main character to stop everything and wait for the pain to arrive,” explained the director. "Pietro Paladini works in a large media film, which is precisely what allows him to stop. If he were a bus driver a factory worker he would not have been able to stay away [from work] for so long. His profession explains a lot: the first reaction of a person used to words is to sit down and shut up."

During the press conference there was no lack of references to the Italian Episcopal Conference’s criticism over the film’s sex scene, which Moretti downplayed.

"This is a purely Italian problem,” he said. “We are at an international festival that offers international titles. It is nothing new for certain member of the Church to take this position. What is truly new is the agitation it has caused, in politics and journalism. Our politicians today are more defenceless and frightened with respect to the past, and journalists are stuck in their prison of hysteria."

Quiet Chaos, based on the eponymous novel by Sandro Veronesi, was produced by Domenico Procacci for Fandango, in collaboration with RAI Cinema, and distributed in Italy by Fandango Distribuzione; along with France (Bac Films), Spain (Alta), Benelux (Cinéart), Switzerland (Filmcoopi) and Portugal (Midas).

International sales are being handled by Fandango Portobello Sales.

(Translated from Italian)