The interview with the director Vito Pagano.

When did you approach for the first time the world "artistic"?

I guess I always belonged to the artistic world, even since a very young age, I realized I had a hand reaching for the designs, I was always the best in class in that, and I have continued to develop this gift until the years of art school. But despite how much I liked to draw, I felt that the design was not powerful enough to express myself as an art form, as long as the movie is going to help me, and to be honest this happened even before I realized to be able to draw, but at that age I could not seriously think of making films. I loved the movie as pure entertainment and it helped me to identify with the heroes that I wanted to be in real life. There began my journey, and my conflict, between dream and reality.

And today, what drives you to continue this path?

Over time I realized that cinema was my life, not just a hobby or a funny thing to do. But it took me a while to realize what role I could play in the film, considering the large number of technical categories. Until one day I realized what could be my role, and I realized why I had the right character to do this: I was a restless teenager, introverted, dark, silent and marginalized, always in conflict with a world that I did not understand because it was not like that movie. And then I decided: I liked to be the one who is behind it all and that controls, peers, juggle, but not as a delusion of leadership, but only to be able to analyze and figure out who I was. I began to see the film as a form of expensive psychotherapy and I went ahead. In short, the film helps me to understand who I am and this is crucial for someone like me.

 Who would you thank for the success?

I do not know whether I can talk about success because I never wanted a success defined as reflectors and redcarpet, not for me, I'm still that 'discreet and confidential teenager'. I believe that in this world we should not even feel satisfied, because everything is always evolving. But if I have to thank someone I would start with my parents who were never prevented from me embarking on this journey. I thank my father for all the times that he led me to the movies, all the times he bought and rent video tapes, for waiting hours and hours at the mall because I had to choose the tape that I liked. I thank him for subscriptions to Tele +1 (now Sky) and for all those times that perhaps he suffered in silence for my choice. But he had more courage than me to leave me free to go and find my way. Another person whom I'd thank is Marco Demarco, who taught me the technical craft of cinema when I came to Rome. He took to heart and taught me how to use the steadicam with which I earn my living. It allowed me to realize my movie by making available to me the facilities of his service 4UVIDEO maker. Without him I do not know how I would have done. And finally I would like to thank all the filmmakers who have formed and influenced me in my path of growth, but among all them I would thank one in particular: Steven Soderbergh, who in 2001 when he won his Oscar for directing traffic, made ??a speech of thanks that drove me off. The speech was the following: "I ??want to dedicate this to all those who won an oscar in the world, spend just 5 minutes of your day, to create something artistic, whether it is a movie, or a choreographed dance or a musical melody. Their daily contribution makes the art world more and more prosperous. "I felt very close to those words, it was seven in the morning, I ate an apple and I began to write my first screenplay, which was a disaster and I never realized, but it does not matter. I had the push and encouragement to begin to dare. The rest is history.

 A story that does not leave you mentally ...

There would be several, including my meeting with Tim Burton in Venice, or the steadicam live on the redcarpet for Sylvester Stallone, or the fact that I have worked with a director like Sergio Castellitto and actors like Penelope Cruz and Emile Hirsch. But if I have to choose one, I would say that what does not leave me mentally regards to the day when I realized that I wanted to be a filmmaker. 15yo and I was expecting the bus to go home from school. It was March, and the spring was beginning to be felt. There was a very strong wind, south wind, and the sun was setting. And I reflected on how each element began to come alive because of the wind that moved around. The first element to attract my attention was a white envelope flying everywhere, had a grace in the move that made me think of a perfect dance. Then I moved my eyes on other details such as the tops of the trees, the hair of passers-by, the hair of a poodle who was around there at that time. It was all perfectly synchronized, as if someone from above orchestrated everything. I realized that this was a pivotal moment in my life, in my film, and it was all there: the scene, the extras, the right light, and even a giant, invisible wind machine that gave life to everything. I thought at that moment that God was doing me this gift, and I also thought that he was the greatest director of all time. At that moment I realized I could express myself without being necessarily see everything and I was more clear. I realized that I could become the eternal invisible that everyone could see. And every time I turn something of mine, and I'm in trouble, I think back to that moment and the joy I felt. It 's always a matter of moments, moments that somehow raise the big fuss in front of you and everything seems more polished and clear. And this story is linked to another: 2 years later I found the image of the white envelope in the film American Beauty, and I thought that perhaps Sam Mendes had lived that moment and had included in his film. It was wonderful.

Tell me about your last "project"

It's always difficult to talk about something that should speak for itself but I'll try anyway. First of all I would like to express my personal concept that relates to the ideas; I do not think that we are generating ideas but just tools. I see ideas like invisible flows that already exist and that you take the time to choose your mind to live, and then come into the world. A bit like us, before he was born, we choose our parents there and then not have any recollection of this thing once we were born. The idea of ??the amygdala was suggested to me accidentally and unintentionally by a friend of mine who made ??a joke: we were on the set of a short film and we were drinking a coffee. Behind us was a case with a combination of optical lenses. At one point he says: "Vito, can you think that the combination of the briefcase was 666? The number of the Devil?'" From that moment on, my mind has been literally impregnated by an invisible sperm that has generated a whole series of images and concepts that have brought me to write the script in 8 months. I was completely hooked and I knew that the idea chose me. And then came the moment of choice, that is, whether to make the movie really alone, ie without producers, or not. I always knew that recklessness is a fault but in that case it was not: I naively threw in a challenge bigger than me, that was beyond my ability, and when I found I had to turn to deal with many difficulties in organization, location, actors, crew, and I have held various roles. And I stopped several times shooting to reorganize myself every time and move on again. On the way I lost the pieces of the team that I had to replace, until I got to finish the movie by myself, in the role of director, director of photography, operator and driver. But it was also fun. In short, I made a film in the only way in which a film should never be made, but it was the only way to make it. At the end you realize that you have to trust your instincts regardless of what you can expect. No matter if I win or fail, I prefer to do it big. I grew up with it so I think that for this reason it will be special. We'll see.

Describe yourself in three words.

Introverted. Dreamer. Reckless.

 In order to realize your dream, with which actor or author would like to work?

I've got to work on large sets, with directors such as Sergio Castellitto, Luca Minieri, Leonardo Pieraccioni, Carlo Verdone and Stefano Sollima. I made the backstage of their films and I learned a lot from each of them. Honestly Italian cinema does not satisfy me so much I can not tell an author or director with whom I would like to work, besides Sorrentino and Garrone who are known as the only true masters of this generation. If I considered America, I would never finish, with Steven Soderbergh for sure and maybe I would even be able to thank him personally for his speech at the Oscars.

If you could go back what you would not do again?

That's one of those questions to which anyone would or could respond. To be honest today I am proud of who I am and what I am depends on all the choices that I've done or that I have not done in the past. Even the 4-year college in the Faculty of Sciences of Education and Training, have not been in vain. I learned many interesting things at the humanistic level and there I studied the function of the amygdala which then became the movie. I believe that everything in life is connected The only thing I would do is not my escapade from home as I was 17y.o.. It has been really a useless thing and still I wonder if I have been forgiven for that bullshit. I could really avoid it. It was definitely a way to attract attention because I was suffering. And I did not have the courage to talk to someone. So if I could go back I would not take that bus to Marche and would not leave the phone at home. That's really the only thing that I would not do again.

What would you recommend to young people who want to approach the world of cinema?

I do not know if I am in a position to give advice, I'm young and I have not a lot of experience. But now that I think I would say only this: trust your fears and not be afraid to rely on fears. I chose to do my film because I needed an experience that would make me realize how much I loved the movie. To understand if I was just a movie buff or could also be a filmmaker. For this film, I cried so much, I was always going to give up, I suffered in silence, I lost confidence in myself, and so on. But the film did not do it. The film has not repented for choosing me, did not cry, did not give up, did not want to change the director, has not lost faith in me. When I realized that only fear could make me get to the goal I thought about all my life and I said to myself: "Vito, if you want to really understand who you are, this film is a unique and unrepeatable opportunity, about what you are. So shut up whining and get off your ass." And I went ahead. The problem with this job is that no one can really teach you, even in schools, and this is because it is always the person that makes the director. And in order to understand what kind of film are you able to do, you need to understand who you are, and to do this, you have to rely on fear and trust in the fear, you must have enough heart and balls. So I tell them, believe it and that's it, do not imitate your idols too, look at your style in your lives, and arm yourself with infinite patience.

"The perseverance always wins over all."