THE GHOST IN ME
A man who has always been used to filming falls ill with cancer. From his hospital bed, he begins a journey through the past, present and future, retracing significant episodes of his life, searching for the meaning of things. Suddenly he remembers that he has never really been alone because a strange presence has always helped him to survive.
A dreamlike, intimate, and profound journey, unfolding across twenty years of footage, reverie, and questioning, in search of the mystery within life itself.
-
Michael BeltramiDirector
-
Michael BeltramiWriter
-
Michael BeltramiProducer
-
Project Title (Original Language):IL FANTASMA CHE E' IN ME
-
Project Type:Documentary
-
Runtime:1 hour 40 minutes
-
Completion Date:September 30, 2025
-
Production Budget:260,000 USD
-
Country of Origin:Switzerland
-
Country of Filming:Germany, Poland, Switzerland, United States
-
Language:English, German, Italian
-
Shooting Format:Digital, super 8, 16mm, etc.
-
Aspect Ratio:16:9
-
Film Color:Black & White and Color
-
First-time Filmmaker:No
-
Student Project:No
-
FESTIVAL DEI POPOLIFIRENZE
Italy
November 5, 2025
European Premiere
FIRST PRIZE ITALIAN COMPETITION
Michael Beltrami was born in Cologne (Germany) in 1962.
At the age of 9 he shot his first Super 8 films. While still a student, between 1981 and 1984, he self-taught his first feature film entitled "BELLA?", a film that was presented at several film festivals.
From 1987 to 1992, he settled for five years in Los Angeles where he studied film direction and screenwriting at the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.
During his American sojourn he produced and directed the documentary "OUR HOLLYWOOD EDUCATION", which was awarded the SWISS CINEMA PRIZE at the Solothurn Film Days in 1992 as the best feature film of the year.
For a few years he worked as production manager for several American and European independent films made in Los Angeles.
With his production company E-Motion Films he developed and produced several projects for fiction and documentary films.
In 2004 he made "PROMISED LAND", a fiction feature film shot in the United States, presented in competition at the Locarno International Film Festival.
Since 1993 he has collaborated with RSI-Swiss Italian TV as a documentary director and producer.
Michael Beltrami – Filmography – selection:
“BELLA?” (1981-84)
Debut film, fiction, 115 minutes
“OUR HOLLYWOOD EDUCATION” (1991)
Documentary/Fiction, 85 minutes
- SWISS FILM CENTER AWARD AS THE BEST LONG FILM OF THE YEAR 1992 -
“VIA DEL CENTENARIO DEL CINEMA” (1994-’95)
Documentary, 54 minutes
“7 GIORNI IN OSPEDALE” (1996)
TV Documentary, 54 minutes
“MISSING IN BOSNIA - THE STORY OF AVDO PALIC” (1997)
Docu-drama for SWISS TV, 90 minutes
“NIGHT & DAY - Fragments of American Life” (1999)
TV Documentary, 53 minutes
“VALENTINA E’ PARTITA” (2000)
Documentary, 80 minutes
"SAD AND ANGRY" (2002)
Docu-Drama, 88 minutes
"PROMISED LAND" (2004)
Feature Film, 99 minutes
"CAR STORIES" (SOLO IN AUTOMOBILE) (2004)
TV Documentary, 52 minutes
"LE IMMAGINI DI MIRCO” (2005)
TV Documentary, 52 minutes
"LE VISITE DEL SIGNOR PONS” (2006)
TV Documentary, 52 minutes
TERRA FERMA (2007)
Documentary, 55 minutes
SGOMBERI (2008)
Documentary, 54 minutes
I NODI DI ARNOLDO (2009)
Documentary, 68 minutes
SPIRITUAL UFO (2011)
TV Documentary, 55 minutes
QUALCOSA CHE SO DI LEI (2012)
TV Documentary, 52 minutes
SEMPRE IN VIAGGIO (2014)
TV Documentary, 55 minutes
QUELLO CHE RESTA (2015)
Documentary, 52 minutes
PIAZZA GRANDE (2017)
Documentary, 57 minutes
co-directed with Misha Györik
VIRUS, COME UN SASSO NELLO STAGNO (2020)
Documentary, 60 minutes
Director’s statement – Michael Beltrami
One day I was diagnosed with advanced cancer and I could only grab my camera and film. Motionless, lying in my hospital bed, I started to think about some episodes of my life. I also remembered a 'presence' that had accompanied me during that time, a kind of imaginary muse that took on different identities throughout my life. Many years later I wanted to make a film of it.
