Fulvio Risuleo’s ‘Notte Fantasma’ Reimagines Rome’s Underground

Fulvio Risuleo’s third feature film, ‘Notte Fantasma,’ premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 2022 Venice Film Festival and was released in Italian cinemas by Vision Distribution on November 10, 2022. The film follows a police officer at the end of his career (Edoardo Pesce) and a young second-generation immigrant caught with drugs (Yothin Clavenzani) through a single night in Rome. Risuleo describes it as an urban adventure rather than a pure noir, blending drama, comedy, and social commentary. Shot entirely at night, the film explores lesser-known areas of Rome—San Lorenzo, Pigneto, Piazza Vittorio—moving away from monumental imagery. Cinematographer Guido Mazzoni used bright night lighting, a deliberate choice against current trends. Risuleo, also a comic book author, wrote the script with 60% dialogue and allowed actors to contribute 40% of character development. Pesce, with whom Risuleo previously worked on ‘Il colpo del cane,’ brought improvisation, while Clavenzani was a newcomer. The director is currently working on a new film with writer Simona Vinci, blending horror and science fiction, expected in about two years.