Picture of the movie La Fameuse Invasion des Ours en Sicile ( The Bear's Famous Invasion of Sicily) © 2019 Prima Linea Productions - Pathé Films - France 3 Cinéma - Indigo Film
La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia (The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily) as seen by Lorenzo Mattotti
He is the artist who signed the official Festival Poster in 2000: a superb Italian illustrator and comics author, who has given us a section of Peur(s) du noir (Fear(s) of the Dark, 2007) and also the visual world of the film Pinocchio (2013). Now Lorenzo Mattotti presents a daring, animated adaptation of Dino Buzzati's 1945 children's story, La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia (The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily). The animated film depicts the conflict between the bear people and humans in gorgeous settings between the sea and the mountains, with some graphic details borrowed from Buzzati himself. It will be shown at Un Certain Regard.
Tells us about the origins of your film.
I have always loved Buzzati's book: "La fameuse invasion des ours en Sicile" (The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily). When I read it, I realised it held great possibilities which were not just spectacular but original too, which would be very suitable for adaptation to the genre of animated film. When I got the opportunity to make a feature film, I didn't hesitate. I spoke to Valérie Schermann about the project, at Prima Linea Productions. She loved the book straight away and set the production in motion. However, the preparation and adaptation of the book into a screenplay was a very long process. It took a long time to find the appropriate format.
What was the atmosphere like during the shoot?
It was like being in a monastery, with monastic scribes in the Middle Ages. Each artist sat in front of their tablet, headphones in their ears… Everyone was focussed, in a great, creative silence.
Could you tell us a bit about your performers?
My real performers were the animators who brought the actors' very beautiful voices to life. Their huge talent and great experience gave life to the characters I had in my head. I felt like I was being reunited on screen with old friends I had known for a hundred years.
What did you learn during the making of the film?
Making an animated film is a long, slow adventure. I learned a huge amount, too much to list in full. Going from drawing to the cinema is like doing a pirouette on a high wire. I learned to be patient, to work with others, to value and make use of the talents of my co-workers, to listen, to question myself, to explain my intentions and to have complete confidence in the professionalism and experience of my team.
What made you want to become a filmmaker?
The thing which made me want to be a director more than anything was my great love of cinema and of Buzzati, but there was also the feeling that, with my long experience as an illustrator, I could give myself permission to bring this story to the screen.
