SYNOPSIS

Scarpedicemente is a passion project for actor/writer/producers Olga Montes and John Vamvas, which they initially wrote and toured as a critically acclaimed and Audience Favorite stage play in 1996. Though left on the backburner for many years, the couple felt that the story could still resonate with audiences on several levels: not only as a dark comedy and homage to the many incredible films and actors that have shaped our pop culture and ourselves as people, but as an examination of the human condition (love, hate, revenge, mental illness, grasping at dreams, etc.). They also felt that they could give the stage version new life by telling the story that is in essence about cinema, as a movie. The couple thus decided to throw caution to the wind and self-finance a film adaptation – call it their mid-life crisis Ferrari!

Longtime friend, Victoria Sanchez-Mandryk, was hired for the 10-day shoot to co-direct along with John as he could not be behind the camera (being in front of it for the entirety), contributing some beautiful elements (like the funhouse mirrors, darkroom for the interrogation sequences and clown). Cinematographer, René Arseneau, pushed that vision further thanks to his distinctive visual aesthetics and unique sense of composition and lighting. Award nominated Editor, Jean-Denis Rouette, brought in his own non-linear touches, infusing the visuals with a structure and style reminiscent of the different classic gangster movies Luigi and Holly embody to make sense of their world. Composer, Sandra Chechik, added a delicate melancholy to juxtapose the rapid-fire dialogue and acting style.

Scarpedicemente, a 114 page script, was shot in 10 days in August 2020 in Brossard, Quebec, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.