On April 9, 2016, at the Moderno Cinema in Lucca, Federico Frusciante will interview George A. Romero on the occasion of the Lucca Film Festival and Europa-Cinema. This is the result of an online petition that took place via change.org and in which as many as 20,000 people participated to propose Federico Frusciante's name to the Fest organization. A face-to-face debate with the Master of Zombie Movies will ensue.
We took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his rising career, the controversy that arose via social media, and his participation as a juror at the The Optical Theatre Festival 2016.
DV: You're interviewing George A. Romero. How did it come to be you? How did it all come about?
F: Why me? I don't know... maybe because of my Youtube video-monograph (the only one there is on the net); maybe because a guy made a petition on change.org that gathered thousands of signatures; maybe because I am prepared; maybe just because I had some luck or maybe because the organizers of the fest believed I deserved it. The exact reason I don't know but they certainly contacted me and I accepted.
Romero is an absolute legend whom I look forward to meeting in person. It is becoming increasingly rare to get a chance to meet a true artist. I would like to make it clear that I will have no compensation for my interview.
DV: Tell us a little bit about George A. Romero. What do you think about this filmmaker? What are some of his films that do you prefer? Your opinion of Land of the Dead and Survival of the Dead.?
F: I think my videomono speaks for itself already, but if I have to choose besides the legendary THE NIGHT OF THE DEAD as my favorite films, I would say CRAZIES and ZOMBIE. DIARY OF THE DEAD is brilliant, it manages to be the best mock ever made: essential, perfect in mise-en-scene and absolutely believable because of the initial premise.
SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD is not as successful but remains an incredibly personal flm with a story that tells America with an original and unprecedented allegory. As a filmmaker then Romero is great, he does not have the technique of many directors but he has one great thing that makes a director unique: he combines form and substance always with balance and always manages the direction in the service of the story.
DV: From "videographer" to "Youtuber" and soon to come face to face with Romero. Your character keeps racking up fans day after day. How have you been able to do that?
F: I couldn't make anything. My videos were born almost as a joke thanks to I Licaoni, a historical group of theater-cinematographic artists from Livorno, who used them for their live shows. Then they put them on the tube and it all went from there. I want to make it clear that I am not a character but a person and what you see in the videos is me without filters. Now even more so.
Why do I increase my "audience"? I don't know. However, one thing is constant: the fact that I hardly see a euro in it, so this increase I do not perceive. Then I remain a videographer since I work 7 days a week. While I'm at it I would like to thank my partner Filippo Scarparo, without whom the store and the "rustling" itself would not exist. Then the strength to do everything comes from my wife Eleonora who is the only person who probably understands me and sees me for who I really am.
DV: The popular choice to offer you the interview with George A. Romero has aroused a general discontent from which a number of characters have emerged, among them, those who, as professionals, complain about a wrong way of handling press accreditation and those who, on the other hand, without any voice except that of pseudo-critic, have taken advantage of it to denigrate, stupidly, your work. Tell us a little about the controversy that has been going on on social media these days.
F: I didn't understand the controversy. There is talk about "form" in the interview request, how I am nobody's dick, and how some journalists felt "offended" by the choice of the Lucca Fest to call me because I am not a professional. All things that don't concern me, really. I don't give a shit about these things. I wasn't the one who stoked the controversy but I had a fat laugh about it. However, if I were in the "category" of the aforementioned, I would have avoided any protests because they only give strength to those who say they are "pen-pushers." Let me be clear, I'm not mad at anyone. Everyone tries to carry water to his own mill, it is a normal and natural thing. My followers talk about envy and more, but I don't talk about shit. For me, deeds are worth it and not words spent on a social media dick.
DV: The Optical Theatre Festival 2016. You are among the jurors for the event along with such names as Adam Gierasch, Daniel De La Vega, Stephen Biro... What are your expectations for the competing films? How do you consider, in General, the current independent horror film scene?
F: I was delighted to be chosen by you and Domiziano Cristopharo to be on the jury of the Optical, and I think good things will come out of it, I'm sure. Being also on the jury of the Fi.Pi.Li. Horror Fest in Livorno, I can say that the Italian indie scene is fertile but scattered in a sea of nothing. There are no distributors capable of understanding that the genre works and no enlightened producers either. There are no longer, in short, the "means" to make non-mainstream cinema known to people but for me this is no accident. The "genre" is the best way to get uncomfortable ideas across and so for quite a while now it has been decided, in my opinion by design, to do away with it. In Italy more than in other countries but there can be a renaissance: just join forces and don't think only of your own little garden.