MR DEVIL
IT, 2019 - 86'
Direction: Pupi Avati / Screenwriting: Pupi, Antonio e Tommaso Avati / Cast: Gabriel Lo Giudice, Filippo Franchini, Massimo Bonetti, Cesare Cremonini / Cinematography: Cesare Bastelli
Director, screenwriter, author and film producer, Pupi Avati is one of the greatest protagonists of today's Italian artistic and cinematographic scenario, who periodically experiments with horror genre creating what has been defined as Po valley's gothic: an intimate and personal horror cinema, denouncing the tragic nature of present times and mourning a past that is now lost. With films suchs as Zeder, presented in its restored version during Ravenna Nightmare's 1st edition, The House with Laughing Windows and The Mysterious Enchanter, Pupi Avanti brought the genre to levels of excellence and Mr Devil marks the director's return to horror movies.
Rome, 1952. Furio Momentè, inspector of the Ministry of Justice, is invited in Venice to solve a delicate matter. A boy has committed a homicide while being convinced of killing the devil. The inspector's goal is to prevent a priest and a nun from deposing in the ongoing criminal proceedings. Once the investigation starts, Montanè will be involved in obscure and complex plots, but what will come to light is way more chilling than expected.
Pupi Avati attended the University of Political Science in Bologna, then worked for a company selling frozen products while deepening his love for jazz music. He directed his first film in 1968, "Balsamus, l'uomo di Satana", followed the next year by "Thomas, gli indemoniati" which wasn't realesed in Italy but won an award at Locarno Festival. The limited success brought him to a pause for reflection which eventually stopped in 1974 when the Euro, a big production company at the time, gave him good fundings for "La mazurka del barone". Two years later with "La casa delle finestre che ridono", awarded at Paris' fantastic film Festival, he hit young people's fantasy worldwide. With "Jazz band" (1978) he won also the Critic's Award at San Sebastian. With his "Aiutami a sognare", Mariangela Melato won Nastro d'argento and David di Donatello as Best Actress in 1980. Among other films, "Dancing Paradise" (1981), award-winning "Una gita scolastica" (1983), "Noi tre" (1984, Special Jury Award at Venice film festival), "Regalo di Natale" (1986), "Magnificat" (1992), "Festival" (1996) and "Il testimone dello sposo" (1997). In 2001 he directed an actual Italian colossal with "I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa". In 2003 he was awarded a David di Donatello as Best Director for "Il cuore altrove".
