Synopsis
A man is standing in a desolate space in some other universe, far away from here. He calls home and leaves a voice message: “Where I am now, there’s nothing.” As he talks about his life, we see the places he mentions, the beaches and bars he goes to. In this hybrid film, Francesco Manzato creatively combines the world of video games with film. He uses 8mm footage belonging to his grandfather, whom he never met. By creating an alternate universe where he lives on, the filmmaker tries to reconcile the gaps of the past with pieces of an imagined future, attempting to create a dialogue with the grandfather he wishes he’d known.
Francesco Manzato
Born in 1996 in Monza, Francesco Manzato is an Italian filmmaker and Modern Literature graduate from the University of Milan. He began his career co-directing political documentaries, including Hurricane in the Eyes and Still Burning Inside, before turning to fiction with his award-winning short Letizia (2022). His documentary short A Missed Call screened at IDFA, and his short Dream Now Revolution Tomorrow, developed under the supervision of Alice Diop at the Locarno Spring Academy, premiered at the 77th Locarno Film Festival. In 2024, his short Nero Argento competed at the Venice International Film Festival’s International Critics' Week, winning Best Director. A member of the European Film Academy and a 2025 Berlinale Talents alumnus, Manzato is currently developing his debut fiction feature, Burns With Life, alongside a new short film, 4.3 Kilometers, selected for the Berlinale Talents Lab 2026.
Filmography
Hurricane in the Eyes (2021), Carlè (2021), Letizia (2022), Still Burning Inside (2023), A Missed Call (2024), Dream Now Revolution Tomorrow (2024), Nero Argento (2024).
