Gianluca Mangiasciutti

Gianluca Mangiasciutti is an Italian director, member of the Italian Cinema Academy. He carried out a long internship at Hbo, and then completed his preparation through courses at UCSD (University of California San Diego). He worked as an assistant director on several films, series and commercials. He wrote and directed several short films appreciated by audiences and critics including DOVE L’ACQUA CON ALTRA ACQUA SI CONFONDE, nominated for the David di Donatello, the Globo d’Oro, winner of the Studio Universal award and the Rai Play award. He also directed A GIRL LIKE YOU, presented at the Venice Days ‘73 and winner of the Studio Universal and the Nuovo Imaie awards.
His following short film, JE NE VEUX PAS MOURIR, was selected at the Nastri d’Argento 2019 and in competition in Cleveland and St. Louis festivals, both festivals qualifying for the Oscars nomination. His most recent work, BUTTERFLY, was nominated as a Finalist at the Nastri d’Argento 2020.

Director’s statement
“The directing does not yield to technical virtuosity and focuses entirely on the story and character of the protagonists, who are outlined with extreme care and are always at the center of the shots. Each camera movement is designed to not anticipate the actors’ body movements, but to follow them, to move with them. The actions Paolo performs, since childhood, are aimed at the research he will perform as an adult.
It is necessary for the viewer to retrace Paolo’s emotional and professional journey, from his studies to the supervision of a team of researchers. For this reason, in the most intense moments, the grammar of the short film proceeds by close-ups or medium shots: the focus is on emotions, and therefore to the acting intensity of Federico Ielapi and Brenno Placido, of Rocío Muñoz Morales and Lorenzo Lavia.
The mother-child relationship is at the center of the first few minutes of ReImagine, and the bond between the two is so strong that it requires a slower, firmer direction, focused on the force of the moment rather than on the narrative. Paolo’s growth and education are instead followed with greater speed and frenzy, the shots are less and more rapid to highlight the speed with which Paolo traces his studies up to the direction of a research team. Once the desired results have been achieved, the pace can finally slow down, to recount more delicate and serene moments.”