Euforia as seen by Valeria Golino

Film still of Euforia © RR

Valeria Golino returns to Un Certain Regard with Euforia, her second feature-length film as a director after Miele (selected in 2013). The film tells the tale of two brothers who find their worlds turned upside down by illness.

What inspired the film?

The idea for Euforia was inspired by intimate events that affected my loved ones, in particular something a friend went through. Hearing them talk about their experience really made me think. Despite it being highly personal, something that affects a person's family, it's something we can all relate to. It's an opportunity to examine modern life and the state of mind we live with.

Tell us about your characters…

Matteo (Riccardo Scarmacio) and Ettore (Valerio Mastandrea) are two men who have decided to check out of life in their own ways. Matteo gazes out at the world from his duplex, a narcissist obsessed with the escapism he achieves through money, drugs, sex, success and grooming. Ettore, meanwhile, conceals his failures, dissatisfaction and lack of confidence behind a mask of disillusionment and sarcasm. Yet their pair's sense of security falls apart when Matteo discovers his brother's secret illness.

What was the atmosphere like on set?

There was a family feel while filming because all the actors know each other very well. Some of them are more than just good friends, I see them as family. The atmosphere on set was so relaxed that it was sometimes difficult to assert my authority as a director and bring the cast in line!

This is your second feature-length film. What have you learnt since?

I've learnt that ultimately, I make the films I'm capable of making, not the films I imagine making. It's almost as if, at some point, the film ends up making itself without me truly being aware of it. The creative process, which is based on a series of tangible elements, suggestions and sources of inspiration, ultimately led me to sometimes surprising results.