Filming came to an end at the beginning of August, in Turin, on ‘Ulysses-A Dark Odyssey’ by Federico Alotto, with an international cast that includes Danny Glover (‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘The Color Purple’) and Udo Kier, famous for his association with Lars Von Trier, alongside Turin’s own Andrea Zirio (who also wrote the story-line and screenplay together with Alotto and James Coyne), Anamaria Marinca, Cassandra Gava, Gianni Capaldi, Jessika Polski and Christopher Jones.
The story is inspired by Homer’s classic where the protagonist is a career soldier who returns from the front carrying the marks of war on his body and in his soul: the Odyssey of his journey takes him to a Turin of corrupt and psychedelic beauty, surrounded by enchanting creatures, inner demons and dreamlike figures that accompany him up until his last, inevitable choice.
The locations include the Quadrilatero, the Murazzi del Po, the ‘Cacao’ venue, the Hotel Golden Palace, the ‘Bunker’ venue, and various interiors of private apartments, the main one being in Pino Torinese.
“A totally Turin-based film in terms of the location and production”, points out Francesca Leon, the Councilor responsible for Culture at Turin City Hall, “but with an international breadth and cast”. The film is produced by Turin’s Adrama srl with tax credit consultancy provided by FIP Film Investimenti Piemonte, supported by the Film Commission Torino Piemonte and made in association with the Banca del Piemonte.
Adama is a startup run by 5 young people from Turin (Andrea Zirio, Federico Alotto, Vanina Bianco, Alessia Pratolongo and Thomas Tinker) –with the collaboration of entrepreneur Alberto Sola, the “business angel” who believed in the project right from the early stages. It is estimated that the spin-off effect of the film on the Piedmont region could exceed € 400,000.
Paolo Damilano, President of the FCTP, also emphasized the significant involvement of local professionals and the fact that the movie represents “an ambitious challenge for up-and-coming talents raised in the region through the experience with short features, independent productions and the many sets activated in recent years”.