Interview curated by Silvia Tarquini
Recently, the letter from the WIC – Women in Cinematography association, highlighting the stark male dominance (around 97%) among the films selected at the Camerimage festival, gained significant attention. On the set of Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa, however, there is a collaboration between a young and already established director, Margherita Ferri, and yourself, a female cinematographer. It seems this is no coincidence, and perhaps it was a deliberate choice to tackle a powerful theme with a delicate approach. The film explores the dynamics of exclusion and domination by peers, which, in 2012, led to the suicide of Andrea Spezzacatena, a 15-year-old boy. Did you and Margherita Ferri ever discuss this female perspective, this point of view? Would you like to talk about your collaboration?
Margherita Ferri and I have known each other for over ten years; we attended the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia around the same time, but we had never worked together until now. At the beginning of this year, Margherita reached out to me to join the project after being selected as the director. The screenplay was written by Roberto Proia and Teresa Manes, Andrea Spezzacatena’s mother, and is based on her book Andrea. Oltre il pantalone rosa (Andrea. Beyond the Pink Trousers). Margherita was undoubtedly chosen for her unique perspective and her sensitivity to important themes, as demonstrated in her documentaries like Generazione d’azzardo, her series Bang Bang Baby and Zero, and her debut feature film Zen sul ghiaccio sottile, which addresses bullying and gender identity. We immediately connected, both artistically and personally. One of Margherita’s main goals for Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa was to create a “non-toxic” set, free from exclusionary or hierarchical dynamics—a positive environment where the young actors could feel comfortable, protected, and at ease. This is also something I always strive for in my work.
From left: Sara Cavani, Margherita Ferri, Martina Cocco, Claudia Pandolfi
If I understand correctly, the harmony on set had an important symbolic value—it was a kind of antidote to bullying…
Exactly. A set is like a small family, which must dissolve after a short period, but it’s still a family, and you need to make it work as best as possible. From the beginning, we tried to establish functional dynamics. The production company, Eagle, put together an exceptional team, from Andrea Vellucci, the assistant director, to the script supervisor, Sara Cavani. All the departments worked together in great harmony. I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people: my teams supported me every day. My department heads, Michele Cherchi Palmieri, Claudio Romani, and Giordano de Blasis, always make me feel very reassured. I’d love to talk about each of them individually and thank them one by one for their incredible work.
I noticed that, in the first part of the film, there’s a strong focus on tenderness—the need for tenderness that these children and teens have, whether within their families, with friends, or at school. I found the cinematography to be very in tune with this. There’s a softness to the tones, within a realistic framework. But there’s also something that, at times, goes beyond realism, something that pulls us into a dreamlike and suspended dimension, evoking a sense of affection—almost a kind of poetry, I’d say.
That is exactly what we aimed to do: tell this dramatic story with an intimate, tender tone. Andrea represents all children, because all children and teenagers have a complex inner world, a need for affection, for self-expression, for being welcomed, and for tenderness. Within a realistic framework, we sought to find “beauty in reality,” a kind of “magical realism”. The magic lies in a mother’s hugs, in caresses, in glances, in sibling play. It was never intended to be, and it isn’t, a raw, harsh, dramatic film. As Margherita said in an interview, it is a film about Andrea’s life, not about his death. It shows that Andrea could be happy, that he excelled in everything. He was good at school, he sang well, and he succeeded in sports. I believe Margherita approached Andrea’s story with great care, telling it as affectionately and profoundly as possible.
How did the preparation unfold? What technical choices did you make?
The film’s title already hints at a colour—pink. We spent a long time reflecting on colour and how to make pink stand out among the many other colours we wanted in the film. Together with set designer Veronica Rosafio and costume designer Giorgia Maggi, we aimed to create a world that conveyed the feeling of a happy boy’s life, filled with warm, pastel tones: his bedroom, blue and red; his house, his school, the places he frequented. He often went to the cinema, so we decided to set it at the Cinema dei Piccoli in Villa Borghese, which has a very distinctive pastel green colour. As the conflict intensifies, the colours dim slightly, and we shifted towards a less saturated look. The pivotal moment in the second half of the film is the nightclub party, where Andrea is deceived, mocked, attacked, and ostracised. The bathroom scene is understated, lit only by the phone’s torchlight. It’s the most dramatic and violent image in the film, the moment when Andrea is assaulted by those he thought were his friends. In terms of technique, I immediately chose to shoot with the ARRI ALEXA 35. I always use ARRI cameras; they are my first choice, and I’m deeply attached to them. I tested lenses that could provide a soft, slightly vintage look.
I distinctly felt this slightly vintage vibe, for example, in the scene where Andrea is on the bus with his friend, or in the moments at Villa Borghese park. How did you achieve this unique touch?
I aimed for softness both in lighting and lens selection. I tested various lens series at Panalight and ultimately chose a set of Tokina lenses paired with the ARRI ALEXA 35. Regarding lighting, I love soft, enveloping light on faces. Of course, every project has its unique characteristics, but for this film, we specifically opted for warm, soft, and enveloping lighting. In post-production, this was further enhanced by the exceptional work of colorist Rosario Balistreri.
Another scene that struck me is when Andrea sings Ave Maria for the first time in the village. Here too, the direction and cinematography together create a very suspended, almost hypnotic dimension. Would you like to say something about this scene?
It’s a scene I’m very fond of. Due to the lighting conditions, we had to work very quickly. We had to shoot before nightfall, during the blue hour, which lasts only about thirty minutes. It was an intense moment that we had to capture swiftly.
Did you add lighting, or was it just natural light?
We added diegetic lighting to create the atmosphere of the village festival: strings of warm bulbs, festive lights in the square, and lamps in the windows of the houses. There was also a fire juggler in the background. I wanted to create a bit of contrast between the electric blue sky and the warm lights of the village celebration.
A completely different kind of lighting from the nightclub scene, where the beams of light pierce through the lens like stabs.
The nightclub scene, even though it’s a sad one, is one of my favourites. The film editor, Mauro Rossi, did a fantastic job: suddenly, in the chaos of the party, all of Andrea’s classmates disappear, leaving him alone, and he somehow realises he is completely isolated. It’s as if the beams of light pierce him in his solitude—exactly that. That’s what we aimed to achieve: having shafts of light cutting through him, leaving him adrift in his loneliness and confusion.
Were you behind the camera yourself, or did you have an operator? Would you like to talk about the work on framing?
I love being behind the camera, but for this film, I was fortunate to work with two cameras and two exceptional operators, Stefano Mancini and Andrea Grossi. The work on framing was focused on staying as close as possible to Andrea, capturing his point of view. We were always very close to Samuele’s face, as Margherita wanted to highlight his reactions and expressive eyes. Only at the end of the film do we realise that the narration comes from Andrea’s mother, told after his death. However, the goal—starting with Teresa Manes’ book, Roberto’s screenplay, and ultimately Margherita’s direction—was to reconstruct the boy’s perspective: his possible thoughts, emotions, and motivations. We hope we succeeded in presenting a vision that Andrea would be proud of.
Let’s delve deeper into the topic of the actors, and your relationship with them. Is there a particular moment you remember that was especially meaningful?
It’s often said, but this truly was a film with a phenomenal cast. Samuele Carrino, who played Andrea, was marvelous; he managed to create genuine empathy with the character. I remember that Andrea’s real mother would sometimes come to the set, and Samuele would become quite emotional. We all cried and were moved, but for Samuele, there was a proper identification with the character that went beyond simply playing a role. Sara Ciocca, who played Andrea’s friend, is also an extraordinary actress, as is Andrea Arru, who portrayed the character of Christian. They aren’t inexperienced youngsters; they’re highly professional actors, always prepared: they never had trouble understanding what they needed to do, they were comfortable, extremely proactive, and even aware of the camera and lighting. They were tremendously helpful; we just had to try to keep up with their energy. And then there was little Pietro Serpi, only seven years old but hyper-professional, never missing a position, never forgetting a line. Both Samuele and Pietro managed to create a rapport with their “on-screen parents”, Claudia Pandolfi and Corrado Fortuna, both brilliant in their respective roles. Claudia was like a real mum to the children, managing to joke around and be maternal whilst sometimes being a bit more demanding. I believe this greatly benefited the film. Claudia is an exceptional person, always bringing good cheer. She was very affected by the film; a few days ago, she posted a video on Instagram where she tearfully addressed all the people who, after watching the film, wrote to her sharing their most painful personal experiences. The film touches on a very serious and widespread problem. And we all worked in an attempt, I believe, to do something for Andrea Spezzacatena, to do him justice and show him love, and to help all those children and young people who might be living through a similar situation.
Thank you, Martina.
