Francesco Tassara
What are your points of reference and inspiration in terms of directing?
Photography inspires me and helps me create geometric, clean images. I work with both video and photography, and I see no difference between the two when it comes to composing an image. I like the way films were shot in the 70s: you never knew where the camera would end up, with zooms, tracking shots, focus changes… If I had to name two directors who struck me for how they used the camera, I’d mention two very different masters: Michelangelo Antonioni and Lucio Fulci. As for working with actors, I’m very interested in listening to their techniques, their approach to characters, and whether they become passionate about a role or story I propose to them.
Which are your favourite horror films or which ones have fascinated you?
Instinctively, I would mention Night of the Living Dead by Romero, The House by the Cemetery by Fulci, Carnival of Souls, and Messiah of evil. But I like all kinds of horror films, from every country and era—I love the genre as a whole, from silent films, from Dreyer’s Vampyr to Ju-on: The Grudge from '99. I prefer the decades of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, when the genre exploded and found many expressive forms. I enjoy the Italian gothic horror of the 60s, the films of Mario Bava, Fulci, Argento, Romero, Jesús Franco, John Carpenter, the American grindhouse B-movies of the 50s and 60s, the dreamlike films of Jean Rollin, the voodoo horror films of the 30s and 40s, classic Mexican horror, and primarily 80s American slashers. In one word: everything.
Is there something that scares and terrifies you? Fears and nightmares that you sometimes bring up in your stories?
I don't have any particular fears. When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark and the surprises it might hide. Then I realized I was the one imagining them, and over time, I began to play with that. I can say that I search for fears when I create stories. While writing, I’ve sometimes thought about certain dynamics and ended up scaring myself. It was enjoyable—like therapy. I've been fascinated by mystery stories since childhood, because I needed imaginary monsters to escape from some real-life monstrosities.
Have you ever witnessed a supernatural event in your life?
I don't think I've ever witnessed any particular supernatural events, although I have found myself in unsettling situations and places—or perhaps it did happen, and I didn't realize it or didn’t give it any importance. I have been surprised by people predicting future events that later occurred, using cards or coffee grounds. Once, I visited the “house at kilometer 5” in the Dominican Republic (a true and famous tragic story that inspired a film). The legend says that anyone who enters the house is cursed. I didn’t know that; I just wanted to visit it because the story intrigued me and I had seen the film. The person who took me there refused to enter and let me go alone. I entered and took a look around by myself. It was practically a ruin. I didn’t see or feel anything strange. But a few days later, the friend who had stayed outside showed me a photo he took of the house while I was inside: at one of the windows appeared a gloomy, ghostly human figure. It wasn’t me. That really unsettled me. I asked to keep the photo, but the friend deleted it out of fear. During the filming of Cose nere, the sound engineer Claudio often pointed out interferences and disturbances. While shooting a scene among the ruins of a medieval church, he called me over and handed me the headphones, asking me to listen. He had the microphone pointed at the church floor, and from there came constant, rhythmic, endless, inexplicable knocks.
What was it like working with the protagonists? What was the atmosphere on the set?
I got along well with all the cast members of Cose nere. We were all passionate about cinema and horror and shared many great moments. There were professionals from classic cinema like Erika Blanc and Silvia Collatina, who had worked with Bava and Fulci, as well as young icons of contemporary Italian indie horror, like Simona Vannelli and Ilaria Monfardini, a major fan and promoter of the genre. The story of Cose nere was inspired by real mysterious places in the Gulf of La Spezia, where strange events occurred. I chose to set and shoot the scenes in the actual places where these events happened. The crew members knew this—we talked about it—and somehow we were all influenced or fascinated. Throughout the filming, we constantly talked about mysteries.
At the end of the last century, the Italian horror/thriller dominated, think of Argento, Fulci, Soave. Over time it has lost some prestige. What do you think is missing from these two genres in Italy today?
I think that from the 1990s until today, 2025, Italy has lacked a serious production will to engage with the genre—but this applies to other genres as well. The same kinds of films are always being produced. Italy has creativity, drive, many talented authors—but few producers. We have to keep making do or look abroad, where there is greater support and respect for cinema. Do you already have new projects in mind? Any plot drafts to bring to the big and small screen? At the moment, I have about a dozen treatments and screenplays ready to be made—the only thing missing is funding. I try to write stories that can be made with little or nothing. I'm currently shooting a second mystery feature film that will be released in 2026.
What do you think about the NETFLIX revolution? Is it replacing physical cinemas in some way?
All digital platforms, not just Netflix, have revolutionized the public’s approach to films. This has its pros and cons. In my opinion, for the cinema as a physical venue to be appealing and attract audiences, it should become a much livelier and more active place.
About your film "Cose nere" How was it to work in your hometown? How was the atmosphere on set? Tell us how this project was born.
I chose to set the film in my hometown because the town itself—and some of its stories—inspired me, so it was an intense experience. There was a great atmosphere on set. We were all focused and attentive because the film had to be shot in about twenty days, and those twenty days were a real race. We filmed from morning until late at night. We were also influenced by the mysterious stories the film deals with, because we were shooting in forests where many witnesses claimed to have seen UFOs and in places full of legends. Some unexplained technical problems left us even more impressed. For example, especially during the outdoor scenes in the woods, the video and audio equipment often stopped working for no reason or experienced interference.
Tell us about a dream you have, whether it concerns work or something else.
My personal dream is to be able to turn into films the many stories I invent and write. I have lots of ideas for horror movies, but also for other genres and social themes. I’m also very fond of neorealism and the documentary genre. For me, it’s a never-ending quest.
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