Drama and thriller coexist in a story that addresses the themes of gender violence and memory from a new perspective. An inner journey between shadows of the past and unconfessed secrets, a long trail of omissions and memories in the film “The Garden of Secrets” by the Messina actor and director Giovanni Giuffrè, entirely shot in the city, currently competing in the “Short Films” section of the Black Silk Tulipani Festival. The short can be viewed on the event website www.tulipianidisetanera.rai.it, where it can be voted on through views until midday on April 30th.
Made by Dar Productions with the patronage of the Municipality, filmed between the Ganzirri lakes, the Paradiso seafront and the northern area of the city – with scenes in the Christmas villages of the Vittorio Emanuele Theater and at the Doralice Bookshop (Mondadori Point) in Via Consolare Pompea – the protagonist is Giuffrè himself in the role of Giovanni, shocked by the tragic death of his romantically linked sister Elena (Giulia Sara Salemi, actress, singer and content creator). to Marco (the Santagatese actor Vincenzo Benedetto), a mature man and husband of the writer Claudia Ferri (the Palermo actress Ester Vinci). It is suspected that it may have been the elderly lover who killed Elena. But is it really like that? A notebook, a hidden phrase and an unresolved past thus guide the protagonist along a path of silences and memories, leading him to put together the fragments of Elena’s life and arrive at a truth marked by power, love and guilt. Alongside him on this painful journey is young Anna, played by newcomer Gemma Piccione from Messina. “My other shorts have always contained the element of emotion, of interiority, but at the same time they lacked suspense, the surprise effect – Giuffrè tells us – With “The Garden of Secrets” I wanted to tell a cross-section of society that is not highlighted much, despite being part of our everyday life”. Consistent with the plot, but in the background, are the subthemes of silence and the importance of asking for help: “We men are not always able to open up and talk about our problems and sometimes this silence can be lethal. Giovanni experiences his discomfort alone; but when he lets himself go to help, this will prove fundamental.” The drone shots were taken care of by the operator Fabio Baudo. In parallel with Tulipani di Seta Nera, the short is also competing at the independent film festival Florence Film Awards.