Roberto De Paolis on Cinema, Inspiration, and the Future of Art
Italian filmmaker Roberto De Paolis, born in Rome in 1980, studied at the London Film School before working as a photographer and actor. He debuted as a director in 2017 with "Cuori Puri," which won national and international recognition, followed by "Princess" in 2022. In an interview for Futuro Antico, De Paolis cites Michelangelo Antonioni, the Dardenne brothers, and Theo Angelopoulos as major influences, and names "Il Maledetto Imbroglio" by Pietro Germi as a favorite film. He discusses the importance of genius loci in cinema, exemplified by the final scene of Antonioni's "L'Eclisse," where a nondescript intersection becomes a sacred space of non-encounter. De Paolis reflects on the loss of the sacred in art, contrasting ancient cave paintings and Greek statues—once seen as powerful entities—with today's commodified art. He expresses concern about AI replacing human creativity, predicting that future interviews will be conducted by artificial intelligence. He advises young filmmakers to fiercely defend their ideas, even against producers. The interview is part of the Futuro Antico series, which includes conversations with figures like Carlo Galli, Martino Gamper, and Fabio Pusterla.
Key facts
- Roberto De Paolis was born in Rome in 1980.
- He studied at the London Film School.
- He debuted as a director in 2017 with 'Cuori Puri'.
- His second film 'Princess' was released in 2022.
- He cites Michelangelo Antonioni, the Dardenne brothers, and Theo Angelopoulos as influences.
- He considers 'Il Maledetto Imbroglio' by Pietro Germi a favorite film.
- He fears AI will replace human creativity in the future.
- The interview is part of the Futuro Antico series on Artribune.
Entities
Artists
- Roberto De Paolis
- Michelangelo Antonioni
- Dardenne brothers
- Theo Angelopoulos
- Pietro Germi
- Federico Fellini
- Woody Allen
- Alain Delon
- Monica Vitti
- Jean-Louis Trintignant
- Dino Risi
- Carlo Galli
- Martino Gamper
- Fabio Pusterla
- Vincenzo Trione
- Dominic Pettman
- Francesca Cappelletti
- Lee Kun-Yong
- Claudia Petrucci
- Carlos Moreno
- Maria Grazia Messina
- Alva Noë
- Fosbury Architecture
- Giacomo Abbruzzese
- Kengo Kuma
- Raffaella Cortese
- Michele Dall’Ongaro
- Gemma De Angelis Testa
- Array Collective
- Hans Op de Beeck
- Giuseppe Garrera
- Carlo Orsi
- Oliviero Toscani
- Piero Sartogo
- Eike Schmidt
- Mario Pieroni
- Dora Stiefelmeier
- Bernardo Zannoni
- Giorgio Battistelli
- Elena Stancanelli
- James Bradburne
- Massimo De Carlo
- Roberto Battiston
- Carlos Fonseca
- Luciano Floridi
- Stefano Boeri
- Tomás Saraceno
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Giuseppe Di Giacomo
- Kader Attia
- Roberta Torre
- Edoardo Albinati
- Tucci Russo
- Simona Argentieri
- Philippe Starck
- Piergiorgio Donatelli
- Cecilia Alemani
- Francesca Matteucci
- Jean-Hubert Martin
- Alfredo Jaar
- Michelangelo Lupone
- Gian Maria Tosatti
- Elmgreen & Dragset
- Fulco Pratesi
- Emanuele Trevi
- Sylvester James Gates
- Massimo Ammaniti
- Patrizia Sandretto
- Chiara Valerio
- John Mather
- Tiziano Scarpa
- Nicolas Bourriaud
- Riccardo Falcinelli
- Enrico Alleva
- Melania Mazzucco
- Anselm Kiefer
- Marino Niola
- Barbara Jatta
- William Kentridge
- Maria Grazia Chiuri
- Ginevra Bompiani
- Francesco Vezzoli
- Giulia Ammannati
- Andrea Cortellessa
- Victor Stoichita
- Carlo Ratti
- Hanif Kureishi
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Romeo Castellucci
- Antonio Marras
- Roberto Cuoghi
- Daniel Libeskind
- Elisabetta Sgarbi
- Federico Campagna
- Michelangelo Frammartino
- Ludovico Pratesi
Institutions
- London Film School
- Futuro Antico
- Artribune
- Centro Arti Visive Pescheria di Pesaro
- Fondazione Guastalla per l'arte contemporanea
- Giovani Collezionisti
- Università IULM di Milano
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- London
- United Kingdom
- Ostia
- Riace
- San Casciano
- Athens
- Greece