Favolacce

Bad Tales
The sweltering summer heat beats down on a sterile residential estate in the suburbs of Rome. Many a family lives here that no longer belongs anywhere. There is a mysterious sense of unease that can explode at any moment. Parents are constantly frustrated because they are not from a better suburb, and the kind of middle-class life they had hoped for is beyond their reach. But their children are the real protagonists of the shock wave that propels the entire estate towards collapse. The D’Innocenzo brothers, whose first feature film La terra dell’abbastanza was one of the discoveries of the 2018 Panorama, have created a wild and astonishingly mature film that combines the bitterness of Kurt Vonnegut’s vision of America with the kind of folksy, humane sense of irony familiar to us from the work of Sergio Citti. An almost atavistic rage glimmers in the relationships and events portrayed in the directors’ rigorous mise-en-scène. An unreliable narrator guides us, sweetly and sarcastically, through this dark fairy tale. A story about women and men who see their hopes and dreams falling by the wayside all too soon.
by Fabio & Damiano D'Innocenzo
with Elio Germano, Barbara Chichiarelli, Lino Musella, Gabriel Montesi, Max Malatesta, Tommaso Di Cola, Giulietta Rebeggiani, Justin Korovkin, Giulia Melillo, Laura Borgioli
Italy / Switzerland 2020 Italian 98’ Colour World premiere

With

  • Elio Germano (Bruno Placido)
  • Barbara Chichiarelli (Dalila Placido)
  • Lino Musella (Professor Bernardini)
  • Gabriel Montesi (Amelio Guerrini)
  • Max Malatesta (Pietro Rosa)
  • Tommaso Di Cola (Dennis Placido)
  • Giulietta Rebeggiani (Alessia Placido)
  • Justin Korovkin (Geremia Guerrini)
  • Giulia Melillo (Viola Rosa)
  • Laura Borgioli (Ada Tartaglia)

Crew

Written and Directed by Fabio & Damiano D'Innocenzo
Cinematography Paolo Carnera
Editing Esmeralda Calabria
Sound Design Fabio Pagotto
Sound Marc Thill
Production Design Emita Frigato, Paola Peraro, Paolo Bonfini
Costumes Massimo Cantini Parrini
Make-Up Diego Prestopino
Casting Gabriella Giannattasio, Davide Zurolo
Assistant Director Fabio Simonelli
Production Manager Giorgio Gasparini
Producers Agostino Saccà, Giuseppe Saccà
Executive Producer Salvatore Pecoraro
Co-Producers Paolo Del Brocco, Tiziana Soudani, Michaela Pini, Gabriella de Gara, Giovanni Cova
Co-Production Rai Cinema Rom
Vision Distribution Rom
Amka Films Production Savosa
QMI Mailand

Produced by

Pepito Produzioni

Damiano & Fabio D’Innocenzo

The twin brothers were born in Rome, Italy in 1988 and began filmmaking as completely self-taught artists. Together, they wrote and directed their debut feature film, Boys Cry, which screened in the Berlinale Panorama. They then collaborated on the screenplay for Dogman (directed by Matteo Garrone), published a book of poetry and another of photographs. Their second feature film, Bad Tales, screened in the Berlinale Competition were it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. Latin America was selected for the competition in Venice. In 2024 they directed their first music video for Kanye West’s “Talking / Once Again”. Dostoevskij is their first series.

Filmography

2018 La terra dell’abbastanza (Boys Cry) 2020 Favolacce (Bad Tales) 2021 America Latina (Latin America) 2024 Dostoevskij (Dostoyevsky); series, 6 episodes

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024