Private Project

The Beard - a Neapoletan family story -

What if a hated relative on the verge of death offered you the richest share of the inheritance?

Naples. Uncle Nino and his nephew Dario have hated one another for years because of an insignificant divergence of opinions - is it better to be bearded or clean-shaven? One rich and old, the other young and poor. The imminent death of the uncle brings the two together after many years. At the bedside of the old man he is consumed by the day of reckoning, grotesque and fierce. There is a wealth of inheritance on the line, sought after by other relatives, but the terrible uncle has something in mind. Will the nephew find out what's behind it?

  • alfredo mazzara
    Director
  • alfredo mazzara
    Writer
  • UncoSo Factory e Vargo Film
    Producer
    Ianara
  • Mariano Rigillo
    Key Cast
    To Rome with Love, regia di Woody Allen (2012)
  • Ernesto Mahieux
    Key Cast
    L'imbalsamatore,di Matteo Garrone (2001)
  • Enrico Ottaviano
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    La Barba
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    BMCC 4k
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cultural Classic
    Napoli
    Italy
    May 28, 2017
    Italia Premiere
    Best director- miglior regia
  • Carpine d'argento
    Fisciano (Av)
    Italy
    July 2, 2017
    Italy premiere
    Premio della giuria
Director Biography - alfredo mazzara

Alfredo Mazzara started off writing comics and children's stories. He then moved into the audiovisual as a director of documentaries, video clips, adverts and short films. He has always enriched his stories using the Enneagram, a psychological method of classifying personalities, and through Tarot reading, of which he is a professional reader. As a screenwriter, he has created several successful TV series in Italy for Rai and Mediaset. He has taught narrative techniques for around twenty years at major cinema schools in Rome. He is currently involved in the screenwriting for two feature films and the writing of a novel.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

To tell the story of "the Beard" (la Barba) I realised that the most effective visual key was a retro one. It's about a legacy, in an old house. And although the work is in a modern setting, I realised that the past was the true protagonist, hidden in the present, creating conflicts. So - from the music to the title fonts, from the framing to the photography - I was inspired by the gloomy comedies of the 1960s. To enhance the psychological character of the characters I chose a relaxed rhythm, slow and monumental framing, without unnecessary preciosity. I wanted to give relationships space, the looks between the characters that hide so many things, even from themselves.