Following on from last year’s journeys to Sicily and Milan, this year we are delighted to announce our latest collaboration with the young Director David Altobelli in this Spring Summer 12 “Kids In Italia” campaign, Vol II. A collaboration which has resulted in the short film “ROMA”. It also forms the basis of a photoshoot shot by Bea de Giacomo in and around Rome.
Bea De Giacomo
Photographer
Bea de Giacomo is the very gifted photographer behind this year’s catalogue shoot in Rome. Living and working as a photographer in Milan, she also fills her time running a small publishing house called Rawraw Edizioni with her boyfriend, collects odd pottery, vintage magazines, books, and has a cat called Nao.
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What do you love about photography?
One of things I love most about photography is that it’s one of the few art forms where you can reinterpret reality using reality itself.
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Which photographers, artists, or films have influenced your work?
Nothing in particular has influenced my work. I think it’s a mix of what I read and what I see, the view from my window in Milan to the mountains in my hometown, from television to advertising billboards, from the web to cinema, from reportage photography to my nephews’ drawings. Photography is about seeing the world with an open mind and finding the beauty within.
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What words of advice would you give anyone with an aspiring interest in photography?
Find the right camera and follow your instinct.
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You’ve travelled and worked all over the world. What do you love about Italy and its inhabitants?
It may sound a bit obvious, but what I love about Italian people is their passion. I like people that work with their head, their hands, but also with their heart, and in Italy there is a lot of heart.
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What are you looking forward to this summer?
A road trip from Milan to North Cape in Norway.
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What’s next for you, anything for us to look out for?
I’m working on a special, colourful, tasty still life book about a well-known type of food.
David Altobelli
Director
Based in Los Angeles, David Altobelli is a young director we’re very pleased to be collaborating with. His past work has seen him join up with the likes of Sia, Cults and Karen O amongst others. Roma is the beautiful film he shot with us which shows a side to Rome seldom seen.
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What did you find interesting about Rome as a location?
From the moment we arrived in Rome, our task was to see what the city had to offer apart from the traditional attractions. I barely spent any time at the landmarks, instead choosing to explore the places I imagined long-term residents may frequent. Rome is full of history, but that was never the focus of the video nor the inspiration to shoot there. We wanted to see the other side of Italy’s most populous city.
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What was your inspiration behind this film?
We sought to create an organic connection between two strangers that felt authentic and I think we succeeded.
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What projects do you have coming up that you’re excited about?
For the past two years, I’ve focused primarily on directing music videos. I’m now moving into commercials and have started writing my first feature screenplay. Long-form narrative has always been my goal and I’ve started to focus my efforts in that direction.
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What advice would you give to anyone who is interested in shooting video?
It’s about accumulating as much experience as possible. The budgets for music videos are ever-dwindling, but they are still a great place to refine your skills and create affecting work that could potentially reach a broad online audience. They are where I found my voice.
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What are you looking forward to this summer?
After we wrapped in Rome, I spent four weeks travelling around Europe. It was a bit draining, but nothing really compares to that feeling. This summer I may do the same in south-east Asia.
