Alessandra Piccione Frank CaninoSearch WILDsound 
11 Questions with Alessandra Piccione Frank Canino. FALL 2009 Feature Screenplay Finalist 1. What is your screenplay about? "Between two generations, between two cultures, sometimes you can build a bridge." Anastasia Robeson is a high-powered TV news producer who has not seen eye-to-eye with her mother, Flora, a lefty, aging hippie, for many years. When Flora dies suddenly, however, Anastasia discovers not only that she has inherited property in India, but that she must share her inheritance with a group of ex-hippies she has never met. Fuelled by mercenary intentions, Anastasia decides to take her mother’s place at a reunion of her old comrades in Goa, India. The problematic and often hilarious encounter between this woman of the 21st century and a group of 60's revolutionaries -- who must confront the failures of their own past -- proves to be much more than Anastasia bargained for. As they gradually come to understand one another, however, Anastasia ultimately uncovers the unexpected and remarkable truth of her own identity. 2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay? F: I had worked on a previous script, LOOKING FOR ANGELINA , with Alessandra and Sergio (director), and I wanted the challenge of a new script that was not based on nor limited by a historical format. Sergio came forward with the story idea after his trip to India to the Mumbai Film Festival, and I though his concept of a reunion of old friends from the 70's had great potential for drawing a character study of a diverse group of personalities at a critical time in their life. A: I attended the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa with our last project, LOOKING FOR ANGELINA, which was also co-written with Frank. On that trip, my partner and the film's director, Sergio Navarretta, and I developed a fascination with India, and with the fact that Goa seemed to remain a safe-haven for hippies from the west stuck in a time warp. The contrasts between west and east, between the local culture and the "invading" hippies, created the seed of fascination that eventually developed into THE REUNION. It was also another opportunity for me to write with Frank. 3. How long have you been writing screenplays? F: I was twice invited to participate in the NFB Workshop that created short films. Thereafter I worked as editor and associate writer on several other projects. But the real bug to write came when I worked as an actor in television and film, a real turnaround as my training and experience for years was as a director and stage actor and teacher. A: I started writing features in 2004, although I had written some shorts, a documentary and a play before that. THE REUNION is my second completed feature screenplay. 4. What film have you watched the most in your lifetime? F: My long-term favourite is Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL, but I watch Ford’s THE GRAPES OF WRATH, and I’ll go anywhere to see a film by the Coens. A: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. (I don't care how corny that sounds) 5. What artist in the industry would you love to work with? F: Martin Scorsese: perfect combination of artist, businessman, Hollywood survivor .... and he has a great sense of humour. A: I can't say I have a favourite, there are so many I admire. 6. Who was your hero growing up? F: I had many heroes .... mostly from the comics, books and film: I wanted to go everywhere and anywhere and meet different people --- they all counted as heroes in my book. A: Wonder Woman. 7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years? F: Splitting my time between writing for film, TV and theatre: I need all three for nourishment and variety. [I am also a mad fan of LAW AND ORDER:SVU .... what does this tell you?] A: Writing movies professionally that get produced, widely distributed and touch the hearts of many, many people around the world. (And loving every moment, of course). 8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? F: No, the routine shifts radically from script to script. If I"m working with Alessandra, we have to schedule our time together very carefully, but this puts great creative pressure to come up with material on my own before we sit down together. So I write in spurts, with lots of research and backgrounding before I start — what I call my "soaking process". A: I put a lot of effort into writing according to a schedule, because I truly believe it's about getting something done every day. I am not always successful at keeping to my schedule, though, which is why working with Frank is great. He can be very organized and keeps me on my toes! 9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? F: Music [classical, jazz, avant-garde, world ethnic], dance [of all kinds], politics [left of liberal], poetry [English and foreign], and reading everything connected with all of the previous. A: Travel, movies (watching rather than writing them), food, my boyfriend, my family, my dog (except when she runs out into the snow and makes you chase her for several blocks!) 10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Script Contest? F & A: We wanted to get the script out to as many good audiences as possible to see how it would work for them. 11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers? F: As an old friend of mine says [repeatedly]: "Don’t let the bastards grind you down." A: Ditto.
Alessandra Piccione Frank Canino
|
CREATIVE IDEAS
