Tommaso

One-part comedy and one-part drama, Tommaso is a sardonic tale of a quirky man’s search for partnership, filled with lust and agony. Set in Italy, the film feels raw but is aesthetically pleasing. Filmmaker Kim Rossi Stuart also played the lead character. See truecolors.it.

Tommaso is a peculiar and somewhat excessive character. Were you hoping the audience could relate to him?

I surely hoped so. Although I was aware that Tommaso is a very peculiar character, as he’s both the hero and the villain. But that’s exactly how it happens in the inner self of any human being, at least in our western culture. I believe that each of us fights its own inner fights due to the wounds suffered from our personal sentimental education.

Where did you find inspiration for Tommaso?
Primal inspiration came from the purpose of better understanding what’s behind this insatiable search for a man of his partner for life.

Sex is a central theme in this film, though the nudity is not excessive or distasteful. Did you consider an American audience when making this film?
Honestly I never thought specifically about the U.S. audience. What I can tell you about this, is that I tried, and many comments confirmed, to talk about sex with grace.

This film has plenty of candid moments that are humorous but overall the subject matter is rather serious. Did the narrative evolve at all to be more serious or more comedic?
The balance between the humorous and dramatic tones is a mix that I’ve been continuously looking for in all the stages of the production of this film, I believe it was essential for the goal the film has.

How has this film been received? Has the feedback from men and women differed?

Yes, the reaction of men and women has often been very different. Absurdly, women have responded to the story with less difficulties than men. Men in many cases felt like they were abruptly exposed and forced to face their fragility and sometimes their meanness. Besides that, for me Tommaso is anyway a hero. And nowadays, a hero for me is who can look inside himself with courage and is able to become a better and more honest person and infect others with positive feelings.