April 27, 2010 01:30PM EDT

Q&A: Loose Cannons

Say what you want about the Italians—what they do, they do in style. The sheer orgy of beautiful people, succulent food, luxurious clothing and romantic vistas that populates Loose Cannons (Mine vaganti), the latest from Italian-Turk Ferzan Ozpetek is enough to make anyone want to hop on a plane to Rome. Or, more appropriately, Lecce, the southern Italian town where Loose Cannons takes place. 

An emotionally wrought family drama of the first degree, Loose Cannons revolves around a pasta-magnate family dealing with two gay sons—one out of the closet (Alessandro Preziosi) and banished, the other still closeted (Riccardo Scamarcio) and taking over the family business. Once his older brother is kicked out, the younger gay brother, Tommaso, must confront his own sexuality and determine what course of action to take with his family. He especially fears for his father, who had a heart attack after learning that his older son was gay. Sub-plots and crazy relatives abound in this pic, which is steeped to the hilt with narrative lines. 

After the film’s North American premiere Monday night at the Clearview Chelsea Cinemas, Ozpetek was on hand to answer questions, alongside three of the film’s actresses—Lunetta Savino, Elena Sofia Ricci, and Paola Minaccioni. 

When asked if there was a connection between baking and sexuality in his work, Ozpetek explained, “I knew a gay man who worked as a baker, once, but I think it’s a bit reductive to base someone’s personality on their sexual orientation. There are so many different people in each orientation. Mainly, I just try to tell stories of things I see that interest me.” 

One audience member commented on the beauty of the film’s setting, in Lecce. “A Turkish journalist I know once told me that before you die, you have to go to Lecce. The region is an important place, both aesthetically and gastronomically, and if you go there you will see why.” 

A man in the audience inquired as to Ozpetek’s fondness for circular camera movements. “I used the circular camera movement twice in the film,” Ozpetek clarified, “in the beginning and in the ending. It creates an interesting game with the actors, because they have to time their lines at the right moment within the camera’s movement.” 

“It was so great, making this movie,” Ricci told the audience. “To be with friends, with all of us. We had fun and we all cried a lot. We put a lot into this movie.”

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