Director Luca Guadagnino produces an animated short film for the Venice Film Festival

Acclaimed Italian director Luca Guadagnino, known for blockbusters such as “Call me by your name,” “Bones and All” and the remake of “Suspiria,” has put on the producer's hat this time, supporting a projected animated work at the prestigious Venice Film Festival.

The animated short, entitled "The Meatseller", debuts today (August 30) at the festival and represents the debut work of the young director Margherita Giusti. This 17-minute artwork tells the true story of Selinna Ajamikoko, a Nigerian immigrant who left her homeland at the age of 15, embarking on a two-year journey across the African Sahara and the Mediterranean to reach Europe . Through Ajamikoko's narrative voice, the audience is invited to immerse themselves in her dreams and her aspirations to follow in her mother's footsteps as a meat seller.

The collaboration between Guadagnino and Giusti came to life when the former hired the latter as a storyboard artist for one of his projects. Struck by his deep and sensitive vision of the world, Guadagnino said he closely followed Giusti's training and his first steps in the world of animation.

Giusti's desire to tell stories of women who have found freedom through their profession led her to meet Selinna. This meeting ignited the creative spark for “The Meatseller”. “The biggest challenge of an animated documentary is keeping the aesthetic in balance with the narrative,” says Giusti, noting the importance of Selinna's authentic voice in her film.

Guadagnino, known for his love of the art of cinema, has expressed his interest in the world of animation and the aspiration to one day make an animated film of his own. Meanwhile, he seems ready to support emerging talent, as evidenced by his collaboration with Giusti. The master of Italian cinema has already made it known that he sees a bright future for the young director and hopes to collaborate with her again on a feature film.

As the world of cinema gathers in Venice to celebrate the best of the big screen, projects like “The Meatseller” underline the importance of collaborations between established and emerging talents, and the continuous evolution of the cinematic art.

Source: Deadline.com, Venice Film Festival