Filmmaker Statement

There we were: two cinematographers, a pile of camera equipment, and four days in Sicily at the tail end of a friend’s short film. After discovering a shared experience, we co-wrote a script on day one, prepped our locations and language on day two, and co-directed the film on days three and four. During each scene, one of us would direct while pulling focus; the other would operate the camera and move with the actors. Thanks to those incredible actors, Paola and Ester, the 5-minute film, conceived as a sort of “song sung in round,” went on to premiere at Aspen Shortsfest and play dozens of festivals across North America, Europe and Africa. “Isole Ciclopi” is a love letter to the memory of our grandparents, and to anyone whose memories can no longer hold everyone they love.