Darida Rose, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): For Universal Cinema audience/readers, can you give us a background on yourself and cinematic journey?
Gianluca Cuscana (GC): Stories have been a big part of my life from a young age. From creating my own worlds at a young age by drawing and sketching landscapes and characters, to listening to my elders share experiences of their lives. With my grandparents as musicians I knew I was born to entertain. I found cinema to be my expression of what was into in the time and space.
(UM): How did you come with the idea of Solace short film? Is it inspired by a personal experience or a reading?
(GC): The concept of Solace was inspired by a scene in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas: Where Karen finally learns the truth of Henry’s betrayal and confronts him while sleeping. Drawing from this, involving the gritty underworld, and the dark journey of redemption, it was a perfect film to create.
(UM): How did the main cast, Desmond, Victoria, Michael and Marcus selected? Simone Neviani is the producer too, so did he want to play a role?
(GC): I had worked with Vincent (Desmond) in the past, I knew he would be the right fit for the lead role for this drama, it made it more fun writing a character I could base off. I used the same technique with Simone (Michael). Working with him on my first film, allowed me to further develop his character for the film, being both cunning and sharp. Simone’s role as producer brought in both Chiara (Victoria) and David (Marcus) being close friends, Chiara’s piercing eyes were enough for me to cast her for the role of Victoria, and David’s reserved characteristic was the behavior I was looking for the role of Marcus.
(UM): Can you discuss some of the film’s aesthetic particularly color, setting, camera angles and mise-en-scene?
(GC): Drawing from films based in the underworld like Donnie Brasco, Thief and True Detective Season 2 were my core inspiration for the look and tone of the film. The ominous city landscapes, dirty apartments and love of shadows and the dark. ‘No light at the end of the tunnel’ was the symbol of the protagonist’s journey. The intro is the only scene with daylight, as the story progresses we descend further into darkness.
I wanted to move the camera in a way to match the ominous feel of the film with little to no movement, mainly mounted. The only time I changed to hand held was during the killing sequence of Desmond and Michael.
(UM): Is the reading of the film accurate that love and death are entwined in ugly or happy faces of it? Were these themes the main ones you want to impart to the audience?
(GC): In Solace, the portrayal of love and death entwined was something that had found itself whilst writing. I wanted to show the ugly side of love and take it to the extreme with these characters and how far they would go to find and conceal the truth.
(UM): How much do you see the association between criminality and love as the film and characters exhibited that connection?
(GC): It is a personal favourite, because the stakes are always higher in a criminal world. Love tends to be a major reason for the characters to thrive off to get what they want.
(UM): The killing scenes were very overt. Is your cinema, including short films not shy to portray violence? Do you see it as an aesthetical aspect of your work?
(GC): Inspiring from Scorsese, I did not want to shy away from the violence, I wanted it to be in your face and gritty. It gave more incentive for the actors to draw upon, making it a raw and realistic reaction rather than dramatizing the effects. For Solace, it was key aspect because it is the nature of their work as both kills mirror each other.
(UM): The relationship between characters are very murky in the plot and all are fragile and untrustworthy. How did you try to show these aspects cinematically through your characters?
(GC): I wanted to give the audience as much information as the Desmond was receiving, to be left in the dark and venture into unknown territory. I gave the characters a lot of history, through where they meet, where they live and how they interact with one another.
(UM): Can you discuss the other short films you have worked recently and plan to make?
(GC): I have recently worked with Simone on his directorial debut for his film Ava.
I have also been developing my next short film that I am working on (the title is yet unknown) is about a female thief who unwillingly cooperates with a corrupted police officer. We further delve into the world of crime and see the character’s struggle to bargain with the authorities for her individual freedom and to rat her accomplices out.
(UM): Last question, why you use short film to express your cinematic/artistic art? Have you ever considered making a long feature?
(GC): Short films are a great stepping stone into making feature films. For me they are little scenes in a bigger story. Focusing on a single moment or event and see how they play out through the characters. It also allows me to understand the process and the work that it takes me to make a feature film.
By: Darida Rose
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