THE STRINGS OF THE SOUL
SYNOPSIS
What is a puppet? Who moves it? How is it created? In Milan all the answers to these questions can be found in an atelier where an Italian excellence in the world, the historic Compagnia Carlo Colla & Figli, has its headquarters. In this magical place almost four thousand puppets cover the walls and every year new ones are born from the genius and mastery of the artisans and artists who are part of it. A thread is what ties each puppet to its puppeteer. Six threads tied to a cross. The Company will soon have to do without this precious thread as the company that produces it is about to close. Today’s challenges, the story of a family, of a company which is also an important piece of history of Milan and italian theatre.
Producer: Consuelo Moschella
Director: Francesco Fei
Country: Italy
Expected running: 80′
Screenplay: Francesco Fei, Consuelo Moschella
Editing: Giovanna Ferrara
Cinematography: Franco Citterio
Estimated budget: 130.000 €
Financing in place: 65.000 €
Gap financing: 65.000 €
Looking for: Pre-purchase, Acquisiton, Distribution, Sales Agent
Start of shooting: September 2024
End of shooting: January 2026
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
In 1997, when I moved to Milan, one of the first things I did was going to see a marionette show by Compagnia Colla. In fact, I have always been passionate about puppets and their magic, which in the cinematographic field has been described in a fascinating way by directors such as Bergman and Kieslowski. Then, in 2022, I had the chance to get directly in touch with the Compagnia, therefore, it came very naturally to me to nurture this professional relationship by conceiving the project of a documentary on their art.
PRODUCTION NOTES
The greatness of the Colla&Figli Company lies in the spectacular nature of their productions, and in every production phase: from the hand-painted sets to the creation of the puppets, from the handmade costumes to the puppets’ wigs, from the conception of the new shows to the development of the texts. Everything in the Colla brothers’ activity exudes culture, art and professionalism at the highest levels and this is why their shows are awaited and requested not only in Italy, but also in the rest of the world, and in particular in France and U.S.A. where their tours enjoyed extraordinary success.
DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Francesco Fei established himself as a director by making several videoclips with some of the most important Italian musicians. His films and documentaries have been selected and awarded by international festivals such as Rotterdam, Roma, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Karlovy Vary, Festival dei Popoli, Biografilm Festival, Festival di Trento and many others. His films are present on platforms such as RaiPlay, Sky and Now TV, Nexo Plus.
PRODUCTION Apnea Film | PRODUCER Consuelo Moschella | CONTACTS consuelomoschella@apneafilm.com | +39 375 5009752
Apnea Film is an independent film production company based in Milan. He has produced films and documentaries selected and awarded at numerous international festivals and in important Italian museums and galleries. His films are regularly distributed in cinemas and are present on platforms such as RaiPlay, Sky/NowTv, Nexo Plus.