In Gioia Taura from the province of Reggio Calabria, director Francesco Munzi struck gold looking for local talent.
Handsome, young Guiseppe Fumo was at school, minding his own business, when a film company showed up and changed his life. When casting people were looking for actors for Francesco Munzi’s film Anime Nere (Black Souls) Fumo decided to check it out. Good thing for him, for Munzi, and for us that he did.
Fumo, who had never acted before or taken an acting class is uncannily natural playing Leo, the juvenile delinquent in the dysfunctional ‘Ndrangheta family in Calabria. ” I never dreamed of behaving like Leo in real life because you see what happens to people like that in the film.” (No kidding.)
“It was my first time in front of a camera”.
Giuseppe wasn’t dreaming of being an actor either. He was going to school, playing soccer, and hanging out with his friends. He’s got a girlfriend, normal, happy parents, and two older sisters. He did a little audition, and a few days later he was in a movie. A really good one too.
Anime Nere is based on a novel by Gioacchino Criaco and directed by Munzi, and is being called by some “the new Gomorra”; but Anime Nere’s not just a mafia movie In it, three brothers from a Calabrian crime family see the future of the family’s heroin/goat herding organization in different ways. One of the brother’s son (Fumo) is being pulled in two directions and the tug toward organized crime is too great.
Anime Nere has won multiple awards, will almost surely be nominated for David di Donatellos, is in theaters across America right now, and will be available to stream here soon.
“Everybody tells me that I am famous all around the world now,” says Giuseppe, “but I just want to be the guy I always was.”
And when I asked about the future?
“I really hope I can act again.”
We say, “Giuseppe, with your talent, we’ll see you again in front of the camera.”
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