Thanks so much to Amalia at Pasta Garofalo for contacting TheRealGilliamFan Blog with the official press release and details on Terry Gilliam's THE WHOLLY FAMILY. The press release includes some quotes from Gilliam and lead actress Cristiana Capotondi, followed by some additional details given to me by Amalia....
Naples, February 1st 2011: Completed in Naples, the shooting of
“The Wholly Family” by Terry Gillam with protagonist Cristiana Capotondi.
The new short movie produced by Pasta Garofalo for the project
“Garofalo firma il cinema”
“The Wholly Family” produced by Pasta Garofalo has been completed. This time, following Valeria Golino's debut as a director (Armandino e il Madre), the firm has moved to the world known artist
Terry Gilliam demonstrating once again its great love for the silver screen.
“I have always loved Italian cinema – declares Terry Gilliam – and it’s fantastic that a firm like Garofalo chooses film production as its communication strategy rather than classic advertising. For me it was great to get to discover Naples and to be free to express my vision through this project."
On this topic
Emidio Mansi, Sales Director for Italy at Pasta Garofalo, steps in: “a product like Garofalo carries inside the culture and passion for the land from where it comes from. Seeing this same territory interpreted and narrated through the eyes of an artist such as Terry Gilliam is for us an emotion and a great satisfaction at the same time."
The filming took place entirely in Naples, a city that has transformed itself into an inspiring Muse more than just a movie set. “Naples is a chaos" – continues the director - "this is why I love the city. It seems like you’re looking at a dance between all the people that live there, and everyone seems to know its rules."
The protagonist of “The Wholly Family” is
Cristiana Capotondi, a young actress that thanks to her skills and professionalism has established her credentials as a movie actress gaining more success year after year.
“Having the opportunity to be directed by Terry Gilliam and to enter his cinema, has been a unique experience," declares the actress. "I have met a real movie artisan. A Renaissance man able to do any craft and on top of that he is able to be stimulated from team work. Some of his collaborators that work with him from many years are Italian. I’ve wondered many times which of our traits fascinates him. Then I saw him in the streets of Naples and I understood…It’s our generosity, our humanity and our capacity of solving complex problems with simplicity and even with an innate sense of grimace. And this is how through his way of looking at us, that gently reflects in the story he wrote and to which I was honoured to participate, I have felt, one more time, proud to be Italian. In spite of it all.”
Douglas Dean,
Nicolas Connolly and
Sergio Solli complete “The Wholly Family” cast. Director
Renato De Maria and actor
Antonio Lurio play the role of Pulcinella, the doll repairer is director
Nico Cirasola, all dressed with the costumes by Oscar-winner
Gabriella Pescucci. Director of Photography
Nicola Pecorini.
“Working on the Garofalo brand gives us the opportunity to create unusual and innovative communication projects, where the common denominator is always passion: the one of Pasta Garofalo, Terry Gilliam’s and ours.” Affirms Bendetto Condreas of PesceRosso.
The story of “The Wholly Family” has as its main protagonists, a young couple with a ten year old child, and the story of that extraordinary capacity that only a family has to tangle up love feelings with moments of extreme tension, as it unravels along the streets and the symbols of Naples, a city that Gilliam can decipher despite its contradictions.
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Amalia has informed me that an official release date is not yet set, however, THE WHOLLY FAMILY will be screened on TV as well as in some selected movie theatres in some Italian cities "starting in May."
Also, thanks to a tip from a blog visitor: "The story involves a boy who steals a Pulcinella (commedia dell'arte) doll...and it brings him bad luck." This would explain the lead I reported on earlier last month that Gilliam was spotted walking along Via San Gregorio Armeno, a few weeks prior to Christmas.
