The UK based director known for ‘A Young Summer’s Heart’ and the video for ‘Black Crow’ took over my Mac Book screen with his vivid imagery last night. Pizzichini’s work has a defining style and the ability to be real and surreal simultaneously. The unique diversity of Pizzichini’s skill compels his viewer to travel between feelings of discomfort and warm nostalgia. In my interview with Pizzichini we discussed his work further.
Born in Brazil, Pizzichini was raised between South America and Canada. Spending time in both Italy and Sweden, Pizzichini has settled in the UK and has been there for the past 9 years. “I think travelling around this much helped open my eyes to how similar people can be, and different perceptions of beauty.” Pizzichini tells me that filmmaking came to him almost by accident – “I was just put into the course and went with it.” Expressing that it was a blissful accident he aims to celebrate beauty and connect people in everything he does.
There is no evident pattern in the subject matter Pizzichini chooses to portray. The constants in his work are the stylized imagery that ranges on near perfection yet still maintaining their organic nature, as well as his focus on youth and youth culture from various demographics. Pizzichini, vigilant in his use of lighting strays away from imagery that appears lit. “Sometimes I have an idea in my head and then try to find the right subjects to bring it to life. Other times, the ideas come from the available elements.”
“I’m always trying to go beyond my subjects’ demographic or background and find out who they are as people. That’s the only way we can connect as people.” Pizzichini works from the UK but frequently travels for projects and states that Italy is a source of constant inspiration to him. Pizzichini is at the helm of writing and directing his film projects and his intention to bring people together in his work is clearly noticeable within this realm.
‘A Young Summer’s Heart’ was directed by Pizzichini in collaboration with The Mill and Smuggler. Released in 2015, the short film was shot in Calabria, Italy. In this film Pizzichini invites his viewers into a story that takes a closer look at a non-conformist Danish skateboarder discovering the streets of Italy on a summer holiday. At the heart of the film’s narrative is the summer fling between the skater and a local girl, and the language barrier between the two young lovers, as well as her father’s displeasure to her association with the young Danish skater. These elements contribute to a charming and wholesome storyline.
The video for Beyond the Wizards Sleeve’s song ‘Black Crow’ was directed by Pizzichini and released in 2016. This piece articulates a sense of immanent death for the off centre electro duo consisting of Erol Alkan, an electronic music rebel, and Richard Norris, a renowned record producer.
“Beneath the dramatic peaks of the track, there’s an underlying tension that’s always lingering. It doesn’t scream at you, but its there, like a sense of impending doom. I wanted the video to be in constant dialogue with that feeling by creating a world that could almost be normal, but is clearly not. Though shot in a matter-of-fact way, the imagery is constantly teetering between innocence and brutality.”
The music video for this track directed by Pizzichini evokes feelings of intense discomfort for its viewer as strange forms of brutality is shown in the form of two girls who are made out to be rivals. The brutality is shown in the form of these girls dragging around heavy bags with their bodies by means of a harness on a tennis court and injuring one another with tennis balls. The brutality of the video is juxtaposed by the youthful innocence of the girls portrayed. In stark contrast to the warm feelings that ‘A Young Summer’s Heart’ evokes as well as its real nature, the ‘Black Crow’ video invites its viewer into an eerie alternative reality that ranges on perfect discomfort.