Italian director Laura Samani won an award at the Venice Film Festival for her new work, “School of the Year,” after making a splash in 2021 alongside her first feature, the feminist magical realist f-talist, “Small Body.” The film won Best Actor Honor in the Horizons Competition of newcomer Giacomo Covi.
“School of the Year” screened in Busan is about a young Swedish woman named Fred who arrived in Italy in 2007. Especially with three close friends: there is a sensitive antero (Covi). A popular yet vulnerable woman, Pasini (Pietro Giustolisi); a bear-like protective mishib (Samuel Volturno). Each of the three secretly wants a romantic relationship with Fred. This, of course, causes confusion in every way, and plays engaging dramatic play with sexual politics and gender barriers.
Venice spoke to Variety about her new film. She adds, “about desires,” and “how different (sexual desires) differ depending on what you live in (body type).” “I’m not just talking about the body here, it’s not about (sexual) tendencies or anything. It’s easy to be male. Even though we (male and female individuals) want the same thing, the way the world allows us to first express these desires – and act according to the resulting will.”
What attracted you to this story?
“School of the Year” is a very loose adaptation of the book with the same title set in the early 20th century. I read it while attending the same school where the book is set, when I was the same age as the character. So there are already some metanarrations. Furthermore, my class was mixed in terms of gender, but I had a girlfriend, but I was the only girl recognized by the 3-man “gang.” Of course, it was a privilege, but it brought strange oppression for my diversity. In this case, we were talking about straight people, so there was sexual tension, as would be expected between men and men. And in a way, I had to “man up” if it made sense, not to be with them and be the girl whose ass is commented on (about); Every “gang” has a personal language and code, and a secret way of nodding to each other. But I also remember turning my wardrobe into theirs. For example, I was no longer wearing a skirt. I was literally trying to fit. So that’s just how it started. Also, after “Piccoro Corpo”, I didn’t want to shoot again with a horse and a long skirt, at least for a while.
Actors are all non-experts. How did you find them and work with them?
We first scouted for the guys at Trieste. This is the first time I’ve worked with a casting director. Because I really want the actors to be protected, so it’s a bit of territory about casting. So I happened to meet David Zuroro, one of the best casting directors I have in Italy. He also did an incredible job finding an assistant based in Alejandro Bonn, Trieste. So it was like a chain of happy events. With Alejandro we spent many nights. We went to college parties and strolled around bars, cafes and pubs attended by young adults. That’s how I found Giacomo Covi, who plays Antero, and Pietro Giustolisi, who plays Pasini in two different bars. I found Samuel Volturno, who plays Mischitz in high school. The three men didn’t know each other, but they lived and studied in the same city.
How about Sweden’s Stella Wendwick playing Fred?
Meanwhile, we made a casting call in Stockholm. Stella was studying scripts and acting last year in her high school focused on art. I wish there was a school of the same type in Italy. From the beginning, it was clear from her first self-tape that something was there. She is very smart and she is very mature for her age.
Fred speaks Italian in the film. Did she already know the language?
no. When Stella arrived in Italy, she spoke a little English and French, besides Swedish, of course. The language of this film is a tool to convey the dynamics of emotions and power. I love playing with languages with my films. The gangsters speak local dialects, just like everyone else at Trieste. So, she had to learn the language, just like her character in the film.
Talk to me about the Italian indie rock band that has songs featured in the film. I really loved the closing truck.
Yes, I love talking about my music choices. Because it turned out to be very easy in the end, so I chose to use only the music from this region. It’s indie rock, mostly after punk. In our area, the city of Podenong was the main place where post-punk began to spread in Italy. And that year, 2007/8, there were many bands that were budding, dying, or resurfaced the following day, mixed with other bands. And many of them wrote songs in English. The final track is by a band named Prozac+. This was one of my favourite bands when I was the same age as the characters in the film. I remember this track “Piùniente” (translated as “No more”.) So I asked the music director to contact Jean Maria Assani, a fan of me since I was 12 years old. He wasn’t that before because at first he was such a personal song and he didn’t want to remake it. I then showed him a rough cut. As soon as he agreed, I requested more by asking him to re-record the track. Because I wanted to sing the second half of the song in a female voice. Luckily he agreed.
This interview was compiled and condensed for clarity.
Courtesy Claudia Tomasini
