Dear Shaded Viewers,
Luca Spreafico’s film Alex goes live June 2nd. Alex was very much appreciated at ASVOFF 12 so I decided to sit down and have a virtual chat with the director, Luca Spreafico.
DP: Alex is a very intimate and delicate description of a person dealing with trauma. What were your goals and intentions when creating it?
LS: This is my first narrative project, so in many ways it was my chance to truly experiment and work as a director. I come from a photography background and so shifting to film can be challenging. But not having a client involved meant that I didn’t have to work within specific parameters or deliver a specific format. I have always had an interest in the subconscious, especially EMDR techniques, so Alex became a way to explore this world.
DP: What steps did you take to bring your vision to life?
LS: I surrounded myself with a great team. For example I had Grabriele Cavalchi as the set designer – he has worked on many fantastic fashion film productions so he knew how to reinvent the space and bring that dream-like feeling into the location. Then for the cinematography I worked with the talented Alessandro Ubaldi who immediately understood my vision – our first great decision was to shoot on film. You have to be able to trust the people around you and know that they are the best for that specific project.
DP: Tell us about your journey as a creative.
LS: I grew up with a fascination for the visual arts. I remember going to Paris to the Musee D’Orsay and being so impressed with the great impressionist painters. Over the years I realised I was gradually becoming more interested in video and photography. Like with everything, it started because I enjoyed doing it and I felt passionate about it. And before I knew it became part of who I was. Thankfully it has developed into a job that I’m still in love with.
DP: It’s been a difficult time for everyone in the creative arts. How have you dealt with the
challenges of the past year not being able to shoot?
LS: I shot Alex a few days before the lockdown so luckily this was the perfect time to focus on this. I spent the first part of the month editing with Federica Intelisano who was in LA at the time. She did a really great job, keeping me posted as we moved forward with the cut. We spent hours together on our computers. Apart from Alex I managed to work on a few editorials. I generally tried to keep as busy as possible, both physically and mentally – I’m lucky enough to live by the sea so I indulged in a lot of surfing, another one of my passions.
DP: Any upcoming projects you’d like to share with us?
LS: I’m working with friends that I spent some of the lockdown with on a series of video and photo portraits. Still can’t say too much, but it’s about people and characters that I find particularly fascinating.
