Davide Manuli on Beckett, Kaspar Hauser, and the Nonsense of Modern Life

Filmmaker Davide Manuli discusses his 2008 film 'Beket', a reinterpretation of Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot', and his 2012 film 'La leggenda di Kaspar Hauser', in an interview with Davide Dal Sasso. Manuli explains that 'Beket' was born from a desire to make a low-budget film rich in content, using Beckett's play as a pretext to capture the author's mood and color—a black charged with irony. The film was viewed by Rick Cluchey, the last living actor who worked under Beckett's personal direction at San Quentin prison, who praised it. Manuli asserts that investigating nonsense is an obligation, not a choice, as society is entirely non-credible and out of control. Regarding 'Kaspar Hauser', Manuli was struck by Rudolf Steiner's spiritual view of Hauser as a saint and the historical reality of his persecution by polite society, which he sees as still relevant today. Manuli is represented by Guido Costa Projects in Turin, alongside Nan Goldin, the De Serio brothers, and Boris Mikhailov. His works have been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw and the ICA London. He criticizes the contemporary art world as too fashionable and trendy, arguing that art cinema is a tougher, more sincere machine, and hopes museums will dedicate spaces to directors like Carax, Lynch, and Sokurov.