Interview: Director Maura Delpero on Italy's new Oscar Submission "Vermiglio"

by Elisa Giudici

Photo Credit: Biennale di Venezia

Today, the Italian selection committee announced that Vermiglio by Maura Delpero would represent Italy at the 97th Oscars, competing in the Best International Feature category "for its ability to portray rural Italy of the past, with sentiments and themes that are universal and current."

The film, presented at the Venice Film Festival, won the Grand Jury Prize and received enthusiastic praise from critics. Just minutes after the announcement, Maura Delpero participated in a press conference to share her reaction to the news, discuss the first audience screenings in Italy just days before the national release, her upcoming festival commitments, and her long journey to this achievement...

Paolo Del Brocco, the influential producer from Rai Cinema, also attended the conference. Last year, he supported Matteo Garrone during the promotional campaign for Io Capitano, which surprisingly secured a nomination. He shared interesting insights about Vermiglio and its chances in the race.

Maura, how did you feel when you heard the news that you were Italy's candidate? Did you expect to win? You were up against 18 other competitors, including Paolo Sorrentino...

MAURA DELPERO: I was pretty calm and confident. There had been some hints in the days leading up to the decision, but I was so busy promoting the film in Italian theaters that I didn’t have much time to worry. Since Venice, I haven’t stopped. I haven’t had the time to really stress about it.

You’ve probably read the committee's reasons for choosing Vermiglio. What would you say to voters to convince them to pick your film?

It's always hard to say why they should choose you and your work. What I can say is that this film has its own stance and a strong identity, especially in its cinematic language. I’ve already felt this appreciation from audiences in these first few days of screenings. I would focus on the unique perspective the film offers, the fact that Vermiglio speaks of a past that feels distant but is still close. It’s not too far, not too exotic; it’s still near.

How will you handle this nomination?

At moments like this, I think about a life lesson I learned from rock climbing. You should never look up or down, only at the piton you’re hammering in; otherwise, you risk being overwhelmed by the abyss. For me, it helps to remember that I must always focus on the task at hand, which, in this case, is making it to the shortlist. Now, I’ll just do my job and do it as best as I can.

I’ve received messages from colleagues I’ve only recently met and from people who have followed me for years. This industry can be incredibly tough on a personal level, but coming from a different background, my center of gravity is elsewhere—it doesn’t depend on others’ judgment. I’ve seen colleagues suffer deeply from missed opportunities and bad moments. I’m grateful to have reached this milestone a bit later, not as a newcomer.

Do you think you have a good chance of making it to the longlist?

The one thing that makes me sad about this Oscar race is that I haven’t yet seen the competing films. I’ve heard that some of them deal with themes of war, like Vermiglio, but my film has the distinct feature of never showing war directly. It feels strange to talk about competitors, but I know there are some really great films in the running, and I’m happy about that.

What are the next few weeks going to look like for you?

My schedule is packed with festivals where I’ll be presenting Vermiglio. Soon, I’ll be in Busan, Chicago, New York, Hamburg, Montpellier…

And the U.S. distribution? It will be crucial for the Oscar campaign.

There are no release dates for the U.S. yet, as we’re still considering an Oscar campaign and evaluating several factors and timelines.

Did you know that your main competitor, Paolo Sorrentino, gave you an endorsement?

No, I didn’t know.

He endorsed you, writing: "I’m very happy. Vermiglio is an excellent film."

I’ve only met him once, at the David di Donatello Awards. We were both finalists for Best Debut, and one of the candidates made a joke, to which he gallantly replied, “Now it’s your time.” He was very generous then, and this statement just confirms his magnanimity.

What do you think of his film Parthenope and his overall body of work?

I find it hard to comment on my colleagues' work. It’s not my job to do so. But I will say that I appreciate when people have their own unique vision and language, like Paolo does. What saddens me is when a filmmaker’s work becomes shaped by the public’s demands. I might talk about other people’s films when I’m having a glass of wine with friends, but not like this.

In situations like this, directors are often pitted against each other, right?

That’s an unfortunate part of the job. Usually, we’re very collaborative in our field, but then these events come along, and we’re set against each other. I was calm before the nomination because I felt a lot of warmth from audiences in recent days. I believe Vermiglio is a film that resonates long after watching, as they say. It’s a snowball film that rolls and grows bigger as it reaches the valley. In the theaters, there’s this special, focused silence during screenings, which gives me hope. Some people have even told me, “It purified my gaze.”

Your nomination will likely be seen as a victory for women in film.

 Maura Delpero. Photo Credit: Biennale di Venezia

MAURA DELPERO: Unfortunately, we’re still talking about female directors as if they’re a protected species. Personally, I’ve done my job, head down, like a little mule. Of course, when I lifted my head, I saw almost entirely male examples in front of me. It still bothers me that directing and screenwriting are considered “men’s work” when there’s nothing inherently less feminine about it.

That being said, the film industry has long been a monopoly of certain groups. For over a century, it was dominated almost exclusively by white, wealthy, Western, heterosexual men. I recognize the privileges I have, but my background forced me to work very hard to break through. I had to work harder because I come from a small town, because no one in my family worked in this field... It’s been an uphill climb, and now I’m enjoying it. I hope I’m part of the last generation that has to face this struggle.

Do you know what awaits you in terms of work commitments?

They tell me I’m in for a long campaign, a lot of hard work. This is my first time going through it, so I don’t know the system well, but I’m aware of the visibility I have. I’ll be vigilant because I want to help the film find its supporters.

Paolo Del Brocco, producer at Rai Cinema, explains how last year's experience with Matteo Garrone's Io Capitano will help shape the strategy for Vermiglio:

PAOLO DEL BROCCO: The Oscars are extremely complex: it takes a lot of money. You have to rent theaters, organize screenings, and have someone paid to bring voters to watch the film.

Tonight, we already have a meeting with the producers of Vermiglio to figure out the next steps. Unlike last year, we already have an American distributor who will release the film in U.S. theaters. This means they’ll be in charge of the strategy. We’ll be by their side, pushing them along. I’ll share my experience from the four months I spent with Matteo (Garrone) across Europe and America. Matteo was the producer of that film and needed external support for that challenge, and I was there for him. Fortunately, here, we have producers who are capable and enthusiastic."

Last year, we arrived at the first screening of Io Capitano in New York without knowing anything, and we learned as we went. Here, however, we have an American co-producer and distributor who knows how this machine works. I also think Maura already has the right attitude. She’ll have to stay calm while answering the questions they’ll ask her.

We’ll need to defeat the other European competitors first, as there are many voters in Europe. This is a very European film, and it needs to gain its initial support on the continent. My impression is that the competition isn’t as strong this year as it was last year.

In the past, people said these kinds of films 'aren’t interesting,' but Vermiglio is disproving that notion, not just in Italy but worldwide. I’m thrilled about it, and we should cherish this spirit. The credit also goes to the producers, who approached the Ministry and us with well-argued reasons to invest in this film, earning trust and funding. Let’s not forget that, although it hasn’t been widely discussed, Maternal [Delpero's previous film in 2019] toured the world. Vermiglio is a step forward, but still a modest production—they didn’t hand her a 10-million-euro film. I think the 'all or nothing' approach has hurt our cinema. We need gradual growth, and Maura will still have room to grow.

Current predictions for the Best International Feature Film race 

Comments

[Cláudio Alves]

Love VERMIGLIO and am super excited about this submission. That being said, what happened to PARTHENOPE? Isn't it strange that it's not playing at any fall festival? It seems to have disappeared after its Cannes run.