PRESS KIT LADY M 5.1

TAGLINE

“What’s done cannot be undone” ~ William Shakespeare

LOGLINE

Lady Macbeth is destined to relive her most tragic moment in a never-ending loop for eternity under the probing gaze of a new life form.

SYNPOSIS

Lady Macbeth is the subject of a never-ending study, doomed to relive her most tragic moment for all eternity under the inquisitive gaze of a new life-form: biomechanical creatures born from the thirst for knowledge and self-generated from the wreckage of the industrial age.

They nourished themselves with the remains of our civilization, absorbing what remained of human knowledge until everything had been cataloged, analyzed, memorized. They survived on the remains of our culture yet starved of understanding the one thing which will allow them to keep living: HUMAN EMOTIONS.

This is a screen adaptation of Lady Macbeth's soliloquy from Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

What would happen if Lady Macbeth were destined to relive her most harrowing moment for all eternity? What could someone, or something, for whom human emotions were totally incomprehensible learn by observing Lady Macbeth’s agony over and over again?

Those were just two of the questions I asked myself as I started writing what became the story of our film.

It all started when the passionately talented Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni came up with the idea of making a short film based on Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 5, scene 1 of Macbeth. I thought it would be a privilege to adapt one of the Bard’s most famous soliloquies from one of his most famous plays. Without mentioning that having Coralina as my leading lady was an opportunity too good to miss!

So I dove headfirst into an adaptation of one of the most adapted writers in history, fueled by my endless fascination for Shakespeare’s ability to capture the very essence of human nature and my admiration for his ability to move us, entertain us, make us think. And, above all, make us feel.

MARIANO BAINO

Mariano Baino, born in Naples, Italy, has been honored with a rare “Extraordinary Ab i l i t y Green Card” by the US Government for his talent as a film director, hailed by the FantAsia Film F e s t i v a l a s “ o n e o f t h e g r e a t torchbearers for expressionist genre cinema” and received the “Vincent Price Award for outstanding contribution to f an tas t i c c i nema” f rom Rome ’s FantaFestival.

His movie DARK WATERS, described as “a masterpiece of arthouse horror" by Filmmaker Magazine’s Scott Macaulay, was screened at the prestigious Lincoln Center in New York and the National Cinema Museum in Turin. Mariano Baino’s artwork and photos have been used in films, music videos and CD covers. His distinctive drawings and digital-art creations have been exhibited in Italy, the UK and The United States. Most recently at the magnificent Hall of the Leprosarium, Naples, Italy and at the Savoy Cityplex in Rome, Italy.

In the words of major Italian newspaper La Repubblica: “Critics have likened Baino’s work not only to the masters of horror but also to Ingmar Bergman for his enigmatic characters, somber atmosphere and depth of religious meditation.”

He will next helm the feature film ASTRID'S SAINTS, which he co-wrote and is producing with actress Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni who wlll also star in the role of Astrid.

Mariano Baino resides in New York City.

OFFICIAL WEBSITES

www.marianobaino.com www.facebook.com/mariano.baino.5

“Critics have likened Baino's work not only to the masters of horror but to Bergman for the use of somber atmosphere and the depth of religious meditation.”LA REPUBBLICA

For detailed bio and reviews please click here.

CORALINA CATALDI-TASSONI

Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, a native New Yorker, is an award winning film and t h e a t e r a c t r e s s w i t h a d e v o t e d international fan following, thanks to her distinguished career in seminal European masterpieces (Phantom of The Opera, Demons 2, Mother of Tears). Recently the book celebrating her career CORALINA: LIFE IS ART/ART IS LIFE, edited by journal ist Fi l ippo Brunamonti (The Huffington Post) has had the honor to be housed at the New York Public Library of Performing Arts.

She is also an accomplished musician and painter. Her artwork as been successfully exhibited in solo and group exhibits throughout the USA and Europe. She signs her work simply, Coralina.

Next she will be starring as Astrid in ASTRID'S SAINTS, a feature film she co-wrote and is producing with director Mariano Baino.

"Mariano and I have been working tirelessly on producing our feature film, ASTRID'S SAINTS, and consumed by all the business meetings, we felt that we needed a creative endeavor to remember who we are and why we chose to be artists. Playing Lady Macbeth was something that had been on my mind for some time now, so we went for it! And taking this leap with the magnificent director Mariano Baino made the adventure all the more exciting!"

Coralina resides in New York City.

OFFICIAL WEBSITES

www.coralina.netwww.coralinacontemporaryart.com www.facebook.com/coralinacatalditassoni/

“Cataldi – Tassoni throws herself in her roles with the instincts of a mischievous child and the intelligence of a well navigated and complete artist... an absolutely unmissable performance.” DREAD CENTRAL

For detailed bio and reviews please click here.

writer & director Mariano Baino

producers Mariano Baino & Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni

associate producer David Hand

director of photography Andrew Libert

music Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni

editor Mariano Baino

production design Mariano Baino Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni David Hand

set design Mariano Baino Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni

hair & make up Chelsea Paige

costume design Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni

sound editor ◦ sound design Mariano Baino

sound editor ◦ sound mixerFabrizio Longobardo

boom operator Anthony Watson

digital effects Mariano Baino

colorist Alessandro Andreoli

script supervisor Katherine Taylor

sound editor assistant Stefano Longobardo

production assistants Katherine TaylorSamantha ThomasEvan Huang

Cast

Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni as

LADY MACBETH

Q &A WITH DIRECTOR MARIANO BAINO

WHY SHAKESPEARE?

The greatness of Shakespeare, the thing that makes his work endure, is the universal reach of his themes and his extreme grasp of emotions and of the characters' interior life. His insight into human nature is unparalleled. His work, because of its universality, is also supremely adaptable. You don't have to perform Shakespeare in Elizabethan costume to keep the essence of his work alive and be true to his spirit. Our film is all about emotions and how mysterious they are once you start examining them. So we couldn't have got better material to base our film on than one of the most emotion-filled tragedies from one of the greatest writers that ever existed.

WHAT ASPECTS DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST WORKING WITH CORALINA CATALDi-TASSONI?

Her keen intuition and freedom of expression. Along with a beautiful childlike innocence enmeshed with a extreme discipline, professionalism, unrivaled work ethic and boundless energy! She has been on stage since she was a child and the theatrical discipline of her upbringing is very tangible. I could not have asked for a better artist to portray Lady Macbeth.

YOU EDITED THE MOVIE YOURSELF, AS YOU HAVE DONE FOR MANY OF YOUR PREVIOUS FILMS, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?

Let's start from the fact that I think every stage of the filmmaking process is linked and cannot be treated in a very compartmentalized way. I can't imagine relinquishing the writing or the editing completely to someone else. They say a film is made three times: when it's written, when it's shot and when it's edited and I want to make sure I am the one making the film all the way through. I know that, as the director, I would be the guiding force behind all those processes, even if I was not handling them directly, but I like getting my hands dirty. I like that it's my fingers doing the clicking and the tapping. I like the direct connection between the brain and the fingers, as opposed to having to verbalize your thoughts and desires to someone else who then has to execute the task. This time round, of course, Coralina and I, partly out of necessity, partly by choice, covered the majority of the production roles, and I found myself doing the clicking and the tapping in many more areas than I had ever done before. So, as I was editing and was doing the sound editing at the same time, it seemed only logical to handle the sound design, too. Once again, Coralina and I had already agreed on a very specific scheme for the film's soundscape so, at that point, it made sense to just get on with it.

COULD YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT THE SOUND DESIGN?

Conceptually, it makes sense that these creatures would absorb their sounds from the only source that seems the object of their constant monitoring: Lady Macbeth. So every sound they produce, every vocalization is a distortion of a sound that emanated from Coralina's vocal chords. Even the “rumble” which can be heard under some scenes is Coralina's voice slowed down and altered. Of course, having a performer with Coralina's almost supernatural vocal abilities made it much easier to accomplish.

THE VISUAL EFFECTS HAVE A VERY DISTINCTIVE AESTHETIC. WHAT GUIDED THE PROCESS?

The creatures which study Lady Macbeth were born from the detritus of civilization so, while their bodies are made of scrap parts, their internal mechanisms and their POV displays are recreated from a mish-mash of old and new technology and from elements culled (and literally “cut out”) from old educational films, to represent the scraps of knowledge they were able to assimilate from whatever was left behind after civilization collapsed and disappeared. These were the only references available to them and that's reflected in the style of the animations and the Visual Effects.

TELL US ABOUT THE CREATURES WHICH INHABIT THE DYSTOPIAN UNIVERSE OF THE FILM. These creatures are a new life-form, born from the scraps of civilization. In the same way as current life-forms on earth originated from the so called primordial soup, the life-forms in Lady M 5.1 originated in some sort of primordial biomechanical soup, something made up of all the remains of life-forms and machines which currently inhabit the globe.  Once the creatures started evolving, they started absorbing whatever was left of human knowledge and the particular creatures we show in our film took on the identities of the characters in Macbeth. It made sense, seeing that they decided to make Lady Macbeth the object of their never-ending study to understand human emotions, that they would take on those identities. So that became a way to have Hecate and the Weird Sisters be part of the scene, even if they are not part of the scene in the original play, and it was also a way to incorporate the Doctor and the Gentlewoman, which appear in this scene in a way, and in a form, that made sense for the universe we were creating. HOW WERE THE CREATURES BUILT?

I drew some concept sketches then conducted myriad pilgrimages to Manhattan's Art Supply Stores and Hardware Stores in search of the building blocks for our creatures. I started picking up interesting-looking pipes and tubes and mysterious looking metal contraption. Then I sat there and started, cutting, sticking, stapling, building, just like I used to do when I was 8 and started making films on super 8 with my brother and our friends. When it came to Hecate's post-apocaliptic skirt and raggedy arms, I had help from the film's costume designer, which, once again, was none other than Lady M's herself, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni.

THIS WAS FIRST FILM BEING SHOT IN THE USA SINCE RECEIVING YOUR “EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY GREEN CARD”. WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE?

Since I was a little boy, I dreamed of making movies in the USA. I am so humbled and appreciative of the USA welcoming me and recognizing my talent. I hope this film, and others to follow, can be one of the ways I can express my gratitude. We filmed in Brooklyn, and Coralina and I were so excited every morning to go to work in a city that is so dear to both of us.

Q&A CORALINA CATALDI-TASSONI

WHY LADY MACBETH?

I grew up in the world of opera and tragic and charismatic female figures were the female role mole models I was exposed to the most. 

WERE YOU VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAY OR SAW A MOVIE OF MACBETH?

In all honesty, I have to confess: I was not. I never saw the complete play nor a movie of Macbeth. I would hear my father’s students sing arias from the Opera by Giuseppe Verdi and I acted in a movie [Opera] which reenacted a couple of the scenes from Macbeth. I also vaguely recall playing one of the three witches in a 7th or 8th grade play. 

But I realize now that this was the time for me to fully embrace this play and, in particular, grasp this world of grown ups. At a younger age, I believe, I would have not  truly understood the implications of their actions.

IS IT TRUE ONCE YOU DECIDED TO PLAY LADY MACBETH YOU MADE IT A POINT NOT TO LOOK AT ANY VERSIONS OF THE SOLILOQUY DONE BY OTHER ARTISTS? AND WHY IS THAT?

Yes, it's true. I would have never done it. It would have stopped me. I wanted to feel free and just simply be and live the feelings that I was experiencing. In reality, I still have not looked at any other versions of the soliloquy performed by other artists.

YOU ALSO WROTE THE MUSIC AND SING IN THE FILM. WAS THIS PLANNED FROM THE START?

No, like everything else in this short, it all started to grow organically, like seaweed! All of a sudden, Mariano and I found ourselves enveloped in many creative aspects of the film and, as new challenges and new opportunities would show up, we would just go to work to make it happen. We never imagined it would grow so rapidly but it truly took a life of its own.

DO YOU REMEMBER THAT EXACT MOMENT WHEN THE SEED WAS PLANTED?

Yes. I was looking up classical monologues and when I came upon “Out damn spot” I recited out loud the first few lines and I instinctually licked my hand as to take this imaginary blood off my hand, and I though, "this needs to be explored more." So I went to Mariano and told him I wanted him to film me doing the soliloquy. So the seed was planted and the watering began.

HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH MARIANO BAINO?

Every emotion and movement is allowed to be explored and truly experienced.  I felt I was able to take my time to really live the character. For example, when I came up with the idea to use my hair to clean the imaginary blood Lady Macbeth sees on the floor,  he took that swaying back and forth movement and he amplified it by adding slow motion and having it repeated over and over again. You watch this scene and the anguish and desperation just seeps in with every sway of the hair. He truly is a Maestro at heightening emotional impact and creating visual atmosphere. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY ｜Astrids’s Saints, LLC in association with Cherry Bar Films. LLC

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN｜USACOUNTRY OF PROODUCTION ｜USA ▪︎ ITALY

SHOOTING LOCATION｜Brooklyn, New York City

SHOOTING FORMAT｜ HD

EXHIBITION FORMAT｜DCPRATIO｜2.35:1 SOUND FORMAT｜5.1 Surround LANGUAGE｜EnglishSUBTITLES｜Italian ■ Spanish ■ French ▪︎ German

TRAILER LADY M 5.1 ｜ www.vimeo.com/ladym5point1

GENERAL CONTACT｜

Mariano Baino ladym5.1@gmail.com

+ 1 917 8046580

PRODUCTION COMPANY ｜

Astrids’s Saints, LLC 215 Thompson Street # 258 N.Y, N.Y 10012 USA

WEBSITE ｜ ladym5-1film.com