Distributed by Fandango with Rai Cinema, the Italian folk horror film about sleep paralysis Pantafa will debut in Italian theaters on March 30. The film is directed by Emanuele Scaringi (The Prophecy of the Armadillo) and stars Polish actress and model Kasia Smutniak.
The title refers to the “pantafa” o “pantafica“, a spectral figure in Abruzzi and Marche folklore. This personification of the nightmare often takes the form of an old witch (or a large black cat) who materializes to prevent the sleeper from breathing.
The story of Pantafa follows the story of Marta (Kasia Smutniak), a woman who moves with her daughter Nina to Malanotte, a small mountain village. The child suffers from sleep paralysis, a disorder that can lead to hallucinations, but the mountain air does not help her.
Even from the first night, her nightmares are increasingly vivid, dominated by a ghostly figure that oppresses her chest, immobilizes her and steals her breath.
For Marta, it will be more difficult every day to help her daughter in a country that appears more and more sinister to her.
The cast also includes Greta Santi, Mario Sgueglia, Mauro Marino, Francesco Colella, Giuseppe Cederna, Ugo De Cesare and Betti Pedrazzi.
The screenplay is by Vanessa Picciarelli, Emanuele Scaringi and Tiziana Triana.
The Italian official trailer:
The poster:
