MEET THE FILMMAKER: MARTINA AMATI (“I DO AIR”)

Get your tickets now to watch I Do Air this Friday at Solar One.

Martina Amati’s I Do Air which we’re screenings as part of our Nothing As It Seems series of shorts, has been causing quite a stir on the festival circuit since its release. It’s a beautifully composed film which tells the story of a little girl, who, after chickening out of the high dive, eventually, after entering the water on her own terms with her own kind, uncovers her place of silence and refuge. We spoke to Martina about her experience of making the film.

Rooftop Films: Describe the film for someone who has not seen it.

Martina Amati: I Do Air is the story of a little girl who finds her place in the pool and it is told with narrative without dialogues.

RF: The film achieves a level of nostalgia by taking place at a pool. Why did you choose this setting?

MA: The water is my refuge and I spent many hours in pools  – I wanted to show a pool’s day life.

RF: Why did you want to make this film?

MA: I wanted to tell a story using narrative without dialogues and celebrating my passion for freediving.

RF: What kind of response do you hope the audience has?

MA: A freediver friend (Liv Philip, the UK Champion) told me that after showing I Do Air to her family they said to her that they finally understood why she freedives. I guess this was the best response I could possibly dream for.  Also one of my closest friend cried at the end, I was very touched but she was pregnant at the time and I guess her reaction was simply hormonal…

RF: What do you like about short films? Why do you enjoy making them?

MA: I love working with kids and it’s magic when the connection with the crew works.

RF: What’s your next project?

MA: A feature film based on the novel Corpo Libero by Italian writer Ilaria Bernardini. We co-wrote my latest short together Chalk and it is basically the follow up of the short. I love the novel she wrote.