Claudio Santamaria's Directorial Debut 'The Millionairs' Premieres at Venice Film Festival

Claudio Santamaria, known for his role in 'Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot', makes his directorial debut with the short film 'The Millionairs' at the 74th Venice International Film Festival. The film is presented at the Lido as part of the Giornate degli Autori. Produced by his friend Gabriele Mainetti and distributed by Lucky Red, the short is an adaptation of Thomas Ott's graphic novel of the same name. Santamaria was drawn to the expressive power of Ott's images, which he found cinematic, and the theme of humanity trapped in an endless vicious cycle driven by greed. The film is dialogue-free, relying on pure visual storytelling. Set between Lucania and Calabria, the story unfolds over a single night, with dark, silent forests playing a crucial role. The cast includes Sabrina Impacciatore, Peppe Servillo, Massimo De Santis, Giordano De Plano, and Fabio Limongi. The short explores themes of greed, cyclicality, and guilt, with a symbolic beginning and end. Santamaria and Mainetti, a successful duo in the comic genre, hint at a potential longer project.