'The Giants' at IFFI 52 Goa reveals dark side of masculinity in the world of toxic artificial paradises
Directed, produced and edited by Bonifacio Angius, 'The Giants' tell the story of five friends who share a similar passion and a singular way of approaching life
ByIFP Bureau
Updated 27 Nov 2021, 8:19 am
Italian actor Riccardo Bombagi at IFFI 52, Goa
Italian film The Giants screened at the 52nd International Film Festival under World Panorama at Goa reflects on two types of people and potently reveals the darker side of masculinity.
Directed, produced and edited byBonifacio Angius, the cast includes Bonifacio Angius, Stefano Defenu, Michele Manca, Riccardo Bombagi, who plays the five friends in the film who share similar passion. Each of the five charaters has a singular way of approaching life, said actor Riccardo Bombagi at the festival in Panaji.
A get-together between friends who share a passion for artificial paradises in a deteriorating villa lost in the middle of the countryside, an insatiable thirst for living in the present and momentarily forgetting the hazards of a past which hovers around their minds; this is in short, is the world of The Giants. This diverse group of friends decides to spend what might be their last evening together in an atmosphere of unbridled sensual pleasure with drugs, alcohol and darkness.
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“I think there are two types of people. One who gets going normal even after a loss and another who fails to accept the loss and goes haywire. They show distraction in their behaviour and many of them get addicted to drugs. So we have used drugs as a symbolism to connect the characters and emphasize the abnormality in the human behaviour,” said Riccardo while addressing a Press Conference at Panaji on Friday.
What unites the five friends, in spite of their clear differences is their inability to find an escape route or any kind of short cut which will allow them to escape the vicious circle of egoism and toxic masculinity.
“Some people tries to balance everything and find peace within in themselves and others perish in their so called ego. The choice is yours. What kind of life you chose,” he said.
Talking about the idea behind the title he said that however powerful and strong you are, you will not remain the same if you start deviating from your original path. Even the giants will fall like the characters shown in the film. At a point of time they have lost their original character and are captured by drugs, alcohol and ego.
Responding to a query on the challenges of his character, Ricardo said that there are no theories of acting. One need to put on the shoes of the character that he plays. “An actor needs to be sensitive. He needs to love the story and the characters. You need to feel the emotions of the character to portray it”, he added.
Bonifacio Angius (b. 1982, Sassari) is an Italian Director, screenwriter, actor, cinematographer and producer. He has made several shorts which have been internationally awarded. His three films Perfdia, Ovunque Proteggimi, Destino (short) have received critical acclaim at many festivals. Since 2013, Bonifacio Angius is CEO of the film production company Il Monello Film. (With inputs from PIB)
