Cristo si è fermato a Eboli

I was very much inspired by Francesco Rosi. For me, he represents an extraordinary model for a certain way of making films, of reflecting on Italian history, and on politics. So much so that I was also his assistant for a while, just for one day. He had problems with the production of Cristo si è fermato a Eboli (Christ Stopped at Eboli, 1979), so he called me and asked me to act as assistant director for a day. That was my only experience on set with Rosi, but I followed all his other films very closely, above all the ones about the history of Italy.

I revisited a lot of Mexican films, particularly from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, like Buñuel’s Los Olvidados to kind of remember the texture and the sounds of Mexico City.