Exit: una storia personale
Encyclopedia
Exit: una storia personale (Exit: a personal history), is a 2010 Italian
indie
drama
film written and directed by Massimiliano Amato and starring Luca Guastini
, Nicola Garofalo, Marcella Braga, Paolo Di Gialluca and Antonio Calamonici. The film depicts an intimate portrait of a man suffering from mental anguish and his relationship with his brother.
The film won the Prix d'Interpretation Masculine
(Luca Guastini
) and Mention Spéciale CICAE - Pierre Todeschini (Massimiliano Amato) at the Festival du Cinéma Italien d'Annecy 2010
.
, Marco(Luca Guastini
) begins to realize that his life is very similar to his friend's.
Perhaps even more hopeless. A lack of prospects and a strong sense of inadequacy only darken his mood. Deep in crisis, the young man asks his brother Davide(Nicola Garofalo) to travel with him to Holland, where he wants to accomplish what his friend Maurizio(Antonio Calamonici) had so lucidly planned to accomplish: assisted suicide
. He confesses that he wants to end it all, he wants to stop being such an outsider
, stop the
suffering.
Davide, who has gotten used to his brother's crises and ravings over the years, doesn't give his requests the least credence. He doesn't know – he
cannot know – that Marco's plan has at least a semblance of plausibility.
Indeed, the Dutch protocol on euthanasia
extends to the category of mental distress
.
The day after the two of them talk, Marco runs away from the Community where he is living, and takes a train to Amsterdam
, intent on completing his
desperate mission. At the very moment when he’s trying to save his relationship with Nina(Marcella Braga), Davide is forced to
acknowledge the gravity of the situation and leave for Holland. Tired as she may be of watching what she considers to be a sadistic game, Nina is not prepared to leave Davide to face this crisis alone. The unexpected journey offers an opportunity for the couple to be together again, after a period of separation.
On reaching Amsterdam
, Marco loses himself in this city of bright lights and attractions. Almost forgetting why he travelled there in the first place, he roams around on a bike, with no particular place to go. He's very much cast adrift, but then he also feels more free than he ever has before. Like a condemned man, he allows itself one last wish: an intimate relationship with a woman – a prostitute(Joanna Pavoni).
Meanwhile, Davide and Nina have made it to Amsterdam
and started to try and find him. One evening, completely by chance, Davide sees his brother streak by on a bicycle. He races after him, and in the end manages to block him near the port. They have a massive argument. Marco has no intention of giving up on his quest, but Davide manages to persuade him that his suicide mission is impracticable. The doctors he has spoken to have told him in no uncertain terms that Marco's condition is not eligible for euthanasia
. And even if his condition was eligible, as a foreign citizen he would still not qualify for assisted suicide. Marco has to face the facts and give up.
The three of them head home. They fly to Pisa
, and then drive the rest of the way to Rome
. En route, Davide nods off and they are very lucky not to be involved in a car wreck. Davide decides to turn off the main road and find somewhere to stop and have a snooze. The three of them, all exhausted, fall asleep in the car. A magnificent dawn lights up a desolate and uninhabited stretch of Mediterranean countryside. A passing train wakes Marco. The young man sneaks out of the car. Nina and Davide are still fast asleep as he strides away from them. Nina wakes up soon after, and realizes that Marco is gone. This is the point at which the epilogue starts, then it is the beginning of the film.
Nina wakes Davide.They come out of the car and go looking for him. Marco, wandering in this wilderness, arrives by chance at a beach.
After a few moments, he instinctively throws himself into the sea. Davide reaches Marco and seeing him in the water, he throws too.
The film ends on Nina, Davide and Marco, the two still wet, returning to Rome
.
(See the law on Euthanasia
in Holland and the Chabot case, 1991–95).
The young man was convinced that this was his only way of ending an existence that he considered to lack any dignity. As far as he was concerned, life was endless suffering. Though it has been rumoured that certain dutch facilities have in the past agreed to practice euthanasia
on foreign patients, in actual fact it would be impossible for a variety of reasons. In the end, the young man took his own life, without seeking anybody else’s help.
Though from Amato's point of view this film is not really about euthanasia
, the film deals with this topic. What director was most interested in revealing was, first and foremost, an intimate portrait of a man suffering from mental anguish and his relationship with his brother, rather than the
medical, social and ethical questions that surround the matter, though the film does indeed tackle these issues head on.
The entire film was filmed without any crew and background support at all, Amato has described the production model "a complete lack of structure".
was Saturday
, October 2, 2010 at the Festival du Cinéma Italien d'Annecy
, France
.
Theaters premiere occurred still in France
, Wednesday
, February 23, 2011 at the cinema Espace Saint -Michel in Paris
, distributed by Les Grands Films Classiques.
In United States, Exit una storia personale was released on DVD
on January 28, 2011, distributed by CreateSpace.
On the web, video on demand
release was distributed by Distrify and Indieflix
.
. Writing for l'Humanité
, Vincent Ostria called the movie "almost a contemporary novel, one of the best movies of the moment". Marie-Noëlle Tranchant of Le Figaro
praised the film, saying, "anxiety, tenderness, fatigue and impotence represented with a disarming truth".
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
indie
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
film written and directed by Massimiliano Amato and starring Luca Guastini
Luca Guastini
- Biography :Guastini was born in Livorno, Italy, the son of a housewife and an office worker. He has one brother.He began playing piano when he was 5, with the hope of becoming a musician. Guastini played in various garage bands....
, Nicola Garofalo, Marcella Braga, Paolo Di Gialluca and Antonio Calamonici. The film depicts an intimate portrait of a man suffering from mental anguish and his relationship with his brother.
The film won the Prix d'Interpretation Masculine
Best Actor Award (Annecy Film Festival)
The Best Actor Award is an award presented at the Annecy Italian Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival.It was first awarded in 2002.- Award Winners :-External links:* *...
(Luca Guastini
Luca Guastini
- Biography :Guastini was born in Livorno, Italy, the son of a housewife and an office worker. He has one brother.He began playing piano when he was 5, with the hope of becoming a musician. Guastini played in various garage bands....
) and Mention Spéciale CICAE - Pierre Todeschini (Massimiliano Amato) at the Festival du Cinéma Italien d'Annecy 2010
Annecy Italian Film Festival
The Annecy Italian Film Festival , founded in 1983 and since then, each year shows the best of contemporary Italian cinema.The private festival is held annually at the Centre Culturel de Bonlieu, in the town of Annecy, in the middle of France.The 28th edition took place from 28 September to 5...
.
Plot
After his roommate committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, Marco(Luca Guastini
Luca Guastini
- Biography :Guastini was born in Livorno, Italy, the son of a housewife and an office worker. He has one brother.He began playing piano when he was 5, with the hope of becoming a musician. Guastini played in various garage bands....
) begins to realize that his life is very similar to his friend's.
Perhaps even more hopeless. A lack of prospects and a strong sense of inadequacy only darken his mood. Deep in crisis, the young man asks his brother Davide(Nicola Garofalo) to travel with him to Holland, where he wants to accomplish what his friend Maurizio(Antonio Calamonici) had so lucidly planned to accomplish: assisted suicide
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
. He confesses that he wants to end it all, he wants to stop being such an outsider
Outsider
-Film:* The Outsiders , a 1983 film based on S. E. Hinton's novel* Outsider , a 1997 Slovenian film* Outsiders , a South Korean film featuring Won Mi-kyung* Outsiders , a Singaporean film-Literature:...
, stop the
suffering.
Davide, who has gotten used to his brother's crises and ravings over the years, doesn't give his requests the least credence. He doesn't know – he
cannot know – that Marco's plan has at least a semblance of plausibility.
Indeed, the Dutch protocol on euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
extends to the category of mental distress
Mental distress
Mental distress is a term used, both by some mental health practitioners and users of mental health services, to describe a range of symptoms and experiences of a person's internal life that are commonly held to be troubling, confusing or out of the ordinary....
.
The day after the two of them talk, Marco runs away from the Community where he is living, and takes a train to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, intent on completing his
desperate mission. At the very moment when he’s trying to save his relationship with Nina(Marcella Braga), Davide is forced to
acknowledge the gravity of the situation and leave for Holland. Tired as she may be of watching what she considers to be a sadistic game, Nina is not prepared to leave Davide to face this crisis alone. The unexpected journey offers an opportunity for the couple to be together again, after a period of separation.
On reaching Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Marco loses himself in this city of bright lights and attractions. Almost forgetting why he travelled there in the first place, he roams around on a bike, with no particular place to go. He's very much cast adrift, but then he also feels more free than he ever has before. Like a condemned man, he allows itself one last wish: an intimate relationship with a woman – a prostitute(Joanna Pavoni).
Meanwhile, Davide and Nina have made it to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and started to try and find him. One evening, completely by chance, Davide sees his brother streak by on a bicycle. He races after him, and in the end manages to block him near the port. They have a massive argument. Marco has no intention of giving up on his quest, but Davide manages to persuade him that his suicide mission is impracticable. The doctors he has spoken to have told him in no uncertain terms that Marco's condition is not eligible for euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. And even if his condition was eligible, as a foreign citizen he would still not qualify for assisted suicide. Marco has to face the facts and give up.
The three of them head home. They fly to Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, and then drive the rest of the way to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. En route, Davide nods off and they are very lucky not to be involved in a car wreck. Davide decides to turn off the main road and find somewhere to stop and have a snooze. The three of them, all exhausted, fall asleep in the car. A magnificent dawn lights up a desolate and uninhabited stretch of Mediterranean countryside. A passing train wakes Marco. The young man sneaks out of the car. Nina and Davide are still fast asleep as he strides away from them. Nina wakes up soon after, and realizes that Marco is gone. This is the point at which the epilogue starts, then it is the beginning of the film.
Nina wakes Davide.They come out of the car and go looking for him. Marco, wandering in this wilderness, arrives by chance at a beach.
After a few moments, he instinctively throws himself into the sea. Davide reaches Marco and seeing him in the water, he throws too.
The film ends on Nina, Davide and Marco, the two still wet, returning to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Cast
- Luca GuastiniLuca Guastini- Biography :Guastini was born in Livorno, Italy, the son of a housewife and an office worker. He has one brother.He began playing piano when he was 5, with the hope of becoming a musician. Guastini played in various garage bands....
as Marco Serrano - Nicola Garofalo as Davide Serrano
- Marcella Braga as Nina
- Paolo Di Gialluca as Doctor Caracci
- Antonio Calamonici as Maurizio
- Paola Frediani as Sara
- Diego Bottiglieri as Maurizio’s friend
- Marco Cortesi as Francesco
- Saroja Alasko as Anna
- Claudio Spadola as Editor
- Margherita Mastrone as Daniela
- Katia Nani as Editor
- Fabio Valletta as Daniela’s boyfriend
- Joanna Pavoni as Dutch prostitute
- Fabio De Caro as Healthcare manager
- Azzurra Rocchi as Girl in the tunnel
- Giuseppe Iacono as Island boy
- Paolo Pipitone as Healthcare manager
- Aurin Proietti as Dutch healthcare manager
- Sergio Toscano as Nick
- Alessandro Rossetti as SPDC nurse
- Pierfrancesco Sampaolo as SPDC doctor
- Michela Parzanese as Community doctor
- Andrea Spila as Editor
- Federico Firmani as Gianni
- Costantino Comito as Community nurse
- Angelica Novak as Carla
- Vincenzo Scuruchi as Volunteer
- Catalina Bularda as Community patient
- Pierre Bresolin as Francesco's father
- Carmen Di Marzo as SPDC Patient
- Pino Torcasio as Peppe
- Antonio Fazio as Mirco
- Gianluca Testa as Young man in bar #1
- Claudio Caminito as Young man in bar #2
- Simona Padovini as Carla’s mother
- Margherita Bonanno as Maurizio’s sister
The Spark
The spark that inspired the plot was meeting a young man who told Amato he was planning to go to Holland for an assisted suicideAssisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
(See the law on Euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
in Holland and the Chabot case, 1991–95).
The young man was convinced that this was his only way of ending an existence that he considered to lack any dignity. As far as he was concerned, life was endless suffering. Though it has been rumoured that certain dutch facilities have in the past agreed to practice euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
on foreign patients, in actual fact it would be impossible for a variety of reasons. In the end, the young man took his own life, without seeking anybody else’s help.
Though from Amato's point of view this film is not really about euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, the film deals with this topic. What director was most interested in revealing was, first and foremost, an intimate portrait of a man suffering from mental anguish and his relationship with his brother, rather than the
medical, social and ethical questions that surround the matter, though the film does indeed tackle these issues head on.
Filming
The screenplay was completed in 2001 and had already been optioned by two producers and presented to MiBAC. The huge production delays were the main reason that led Massimiliano Amato to decide to produce it independently.The entire film was filmed without any crew and background support at all, Amato has described the production model "a complete lack of structure".
Release
The official premierePremiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
was Saturday
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
, October 2, 2010 at the Festival du Cinéma Italien d'Annecy
Annecy Italian Film Festival
The Annecy Italian Film Festival , founded in 1983 and since then, each year shows the best of contemporary Italian cinema.The private festival is held annually at the Centre Culturel de Bonlieu, in the town of Annecy, in the middle of France.The 28th edition took place from 28 September to 5...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Theaters premiere occurred still in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday is a day of the week in the Gregorian calendar. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. This day is between Tuesday and Thursday...
, February 23, 2011 at the cinema Espace Saint -Michel in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, distributed by Les Grands Films Classiques.
In United States, Exit una storia personale was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on January 28, 2011, distributed by CreateSpace.
On the web, video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
release was distributed by Distrify and Indieflix
IndieFlix
IndieFlix is an online marketplace and distributor of over 2,500 film festival-selected independent films screened from countries worldwide. The company offers a video streaming membership service, created Film Festival in a Box, hosts Film Festivals Online, and established the IndieFlix Foundation...
.
Critical reception
The film received widespread critical acclaim in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Writing for l'Humanité
L'Humanité
L'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
, Vincent Ostria called the movie "almost a contemporary novel, one of the best movies of the moment". Marie-Noëlle Tranchant of Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
praised the film, saying, "anxiety, tenderness, fatigue and impotence represented with a disarming truth".
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annecy Cinéma Italien Annecy Italian Film Festival The Annecy Italian Film Festival , founded in 1983 and since then, each year shows the best of contemporary Italian cinema.The private festival is held annually at the Centre Culturel de Bonlieu, in the town of Annecy, in the middle of France.The 28th edition took place from 28 September to 5... 2010 |
Prix d'Interpretation Masculine Best Actor Award (Annecy Film Festival) The Best Actor Award is an award presented at the Annecy Italian Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival.It was first awarded in 2002.- Award Winners :-External links:* *... |
Luca Guastini Luca Guastini - Biography :Guastini was born in Livorno, Italy, the son of a housewife and an office worker. He has one brother.He began playing piano when he was 5, with the hope of becoming a musician. Guastini played in various garage bands.... |
|
| Prix CICAE - Pierre Todeschini | Massimiliano Amato | Special Mention | |
| Rassegna Cinematografica CinemAnimaMente Cesena 2011 | Panorama | Massimiliano Amato | Selected |
| Roma3 Film Teatro Festival 2011 | Indie | Massimiliano Amato | Selected |
| Premio Monty Banks 2011 | In Concorso | Massimiliano Amato | Nominated |
| Maya Film Festival 2011 | Panorama | Massimiliano Amato | Selected |