Interview: Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah)

[Editor’s Note: This was originally published during the 46th New York Film Festival]

Before watching Matteo Garrone’s Neapolitan crime epic Gomorrah I knew next to nothing about the Camorra syndicate, which holds southern Italy in a tight grip of fear. Much like the City of God’s infamous favelas, the Cammora are able to rule through terror by tightly controlling the population that exists in Naples dilapidated housing projects. But the Cammora control more than just the lower classes, their reach has extended all the way up into Italy’s couture fashion lines and nuclear waste management facilities. Cancer rates have reportedly skyrocketed in recent years due to illegal toxic dumping. The film itself explores all the levels of this corruption and more to create a truly remarkable expose. To give credit where it is due: Gomorrah is based on the true-crime novel of the same name by Roberto Saviano, whose detailed research made the book an instant success and the author the subject of countless death threats. He now lives under police protection. I was, however, able to catch up with the film’s director in New York City.

Matteo Garrone

Benjamin Crossley-Marra: Last week the New York Times reported that police in Naples arrested over 300 “top” members of the Cammora crime syndicate. Do you feel that this has been in response to both Roberto Saviano’s book and your film?
Matteo Garrone: Both the book and the film spread massive awareness of what was happening throughout Naples. I think both the book and the film were valuable instruments in helping the public to better understand what was going on from the inside. But to be honest I think there’s a thin line between what the police admit they know and what they pretend to be ignorant about. My personal opinion is that these recent raids are superficial. You can’t solve the problem of Camorra just by arresting people. You have to tackle the problem from the inside. The problem of Cammora is fueled by unemployment, education and Naples relationship with the rest of Italy. It’s a big grey zone where the lines of legality are blurred. The Cammora is strong because they live among the people, so to solve the problem you have to work with the people. The main theme of my movie is to show the people that live under that system and how they try to fight for survival.

BCM: The author of the novel on which this movie is based now lives under police protection. Was the production or yourself, individually, ever threatened?
MG: No, because the movie goes in a different direction than the book. The book is about naming names and pointing fingers. My film talks more about the universal themes and situations that people go through living under these conditions. I made this movie with the people who lived there and people who were connected to that system. So it’s a movie that talks about Cammora rather than a film against Cammora. I wanted to show how it was from the inside and let people judge for themselves. I didn’t want to be the judge. We just followed the characters and tried to make a movie that was different from all the other Mafia movies.

BCM: Did you receive a lot of local help making the film?
MG: Of course, they were very generous in making this project. One of the problems with Cammora is that it’s a closed eco-system. People don’t know what’s going on inside and those inside can’t really see what’s going on outside. So when we came to film it was like the circus had arrived. We stayed there for a few months and they were happy to show and talk about their lives. The other thing is they’re not really aware of the conditions under which they live, so they don’t really understand what things like making a film mean. They had no idea how many people would see this or how successful it would wind up being.

BCM: Has this film been released in Italy?
MG: Yes it was released in May after Cannes. It’s had incredible success which none of us expected. It’s like Indiana Jones over there. It’s not an easy film so we were very surprised. It actually came out with Italian subtitles in Italy because the southern dialect is very hard to comprehend. It’s almost like another language. The book was also very successful which helped.

BCM: Do you think perhaps the Cammora could be proud of the film?
MG: I really don’t know. It’s not a very glamorizing film. The story is told from the bottom, not the top. It’s not about the top brass or the big crime bosses. The bosses aren’t interested in the human conflict that the movie is about.

BCM: The film has a very unique look. Could you talk a little bit about it’s aesthetic?
MG: I wanted to shoot this in the simplest way possible. I wanted to give the audience the feeling of being there. I wanted them to feel the emotions that I went through while I was filming. So we used long tracking shots that were handheld and no soundtrack. All the music was from practical sources. We worked for about three months with actors that came from local theatre companies, so they all knew about the Cammora. It was an interesting marriage between character and person.

BCM: What are some of the next projects that you are working on?
MG: That’s a good question, I don’t know. I would like to make something different, probably a comedy. Something that has a little more hope. But I really don’t know yet. I’m very happy that this film has done well because it opened the door for many possibilities.

BCM: Would you like to come work in America?
MG: I don’t know I’ve meet with some very interesting studios that want to make some personal films. They are independent studios, not Hollywood. So I could come over here but it would depend on the project. If I found a project interesting, then I would see about working here.

BCM: What American directors do you like?
MG: Well I like all the directors who work well with image. I like David Lynch, The Coen Brothers, Tim Burton and P.T. Anderson. There are many, many great directors in the United States and I’m sure I’m forgetting some big ones. But my reference for Gomorrah, besides Scorsese, is not a Mafia film but a war film by Roberto Rossellini called Paisa. It’s a movie connecting six stories during the World War II. Every section was shot in a different part of Italy. I really love Rossellini because he makes movies without being judgmental. He just follows the characters and for me that’s a fascinating lesson. When you make a film about Naples it’s very easy to fall into clichés, but you have to learn to be as objective as possible.

BCM: A common complaint among American filmmakers is that studio executives exert overbearing creative control on many film projects. What is the situation like in Italy?
MG: Well, in Italy most of the production companies also work in television. Television is very successful, while film is significantly less so. I have always managed to find my own way. I was able to produce my first three films myself with a very low budget. That was the best way for me to learn. Then I met Domenico Procacci, a producer from Fandango and he produced my next three films, which had higher budgets. I’ve always had a good relationship with producers mainly because I used to be one. I know how to spend money. So when I ask for something Proacci knows I really need it. Part of the talent of being a filmmaker is knowing what you really need. You can’t have everything. So I can’t complain, but to be honest, I don’t really know what the situation is like for other Italian filmmakers. I only really see three or four films a month.

BCM: I have to end with this: I’m a huge Massive Attack fan and I love the song they produced that plays over the end credits, will there be a soundtrack?
MG: Actually they are coming to see the film today. It’s the first time they will be seeing it so we’re very excited. We are working very hard on a soundtrack, I’m not sure if it will be released in the United States. But I’ll be sure to pass on your praise!

IFC opens the film in theaters today.