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Piergiorgio Gay • Director

The fiction of reality

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- Piergiorgio Gay speaks about La forza del passato, based on the novel by Sandro Veronesi and in competition for the Golden Lion

Piergiorgio Gay is in Venice to present a film based on an apparent contradiction in terms: the reality of fiction. La Forza del Passato (The Power of the Past) is based on a novel by Sandro Veronesi and tells the story of a 40-year old man whose certainties are suddenly crushed when he discovers that his late father was really a secret agent for the KGB.

What was it like to work with Veronesi?
“Great. Despite the interest that several important directors showed for this story, he wanted me to make it. He decided not to write the screenplay because he was unable to maintain impartiality. I ended up writing the film with Laura Fremder although he read each of the four rewrites.”

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Why did you set the film in Trieste instead of Rome?
“That was my biggest betrayal of Veronesi’s book. He wasn’t particularly in favour of this at the beginning but came round to my way of thinking. The reason was purely practical: the protagonist, Orzan, is in Rome in mid-August when the city is traditionally deserted. That only lasts for seven days while the filming process took seven weeks starting in March 2002. Trieste is a frontier town and a mysterious place that’s ideal for making mysterious films.”

Why did you choose Sergio Rubini as your protagonist?
“I wanted Sergio right from the start. We are used to seeing him playing characters who are over the top and borderline neurotics. Sergio also has a childish side to him, and a fragility that was perfect for this role.”

You discovered Sandra Ceccarelli with Tre Storie. Who does she play in La Forza del Passato?
“The truth is that Sandra and I discovered one another. A coup-de-foudre. Her role in this film is a brief appearance. She plays Rubini’s wife and we only see her at the beginning and end of the film.”

What kind of direction do you give your actors?
“I don’t like using them as though they were puppets. To paraphrase the Tavianis, “I like r actors who surprise me.”

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