PRESS KIT LADY M 5.1
TAGLINE
“What’s done cannot be undone” ~ William Shakespeare
LOGLINE
Lady Macbeth is destined to relive her most tragic moment in a never-ending loop for eternity under the
probing gaze of a new life form.
SYNPOSIS
Lady Macbeth is the subject of a never-ending study, doomed to relive her most tragic moment for all
eternity under the inquisitive gaze of a new life-form: biomechanical creatures born from the thirst for
knowledge and self-generated from the wreckage of the industrial age.
They nourished themselves with the remains of our civilization, absorbing what remained of human
knowledge until everything had been cataloged, analyzed, memorized. They survived on the remains of
our culture yet starved of understanding the one thing which will allow them to keep living: HUMAN
EMOTIONS.
This is a screen adaptation of Lady Macbeth's soliloquy from Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
What would happen if Lady Macbeth were destined to relive her most harrowing moment for all
eternity? What could someone, or something, for whom human emotions were totally
incomprehensible learn by observing Lady Macbeth’s agony over and over again?
Those were just two of the questions I asked myself as I started writing what became the story of
our film.
It all started when the passionately talented Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni came up with the idea of
making a short film based on Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 5, scene 1 of Macbeth. I thought it
would be a privilege to adapt one of the Bard’s most famous soliloquies from one of his most
famous plays. Without mentioning that having Coralina as my leading lady was an opportunity
too good to miss!
So I dove headfirst into an adaptation of one of the most adapted writers in history, fueled by my
endless fascination for Shakespeare’s ability to capture the very essence of human nature and
my admiration for his ability to move us, entertain us, make us think. And, above all, make us feel.
MARIANO BAINO
Mariano Baino, born in Naples, Italy, has
been honored with a rare “Extraordinary
Ability Green Card” by the US Government
for his talent as a film director and a
multimedia artist, hailed by the FantAsia
Film Festival as “one of the great
torchbearers for expressionist genre
cinema” and received the “Vincent Price
Award for outstanding contribution to
f a n t a s t i c c i n e m a ” f r o m R o m e ’s
FantaFestival.
His movie DARK WATERS, described as
“a masterpiece of arthouse horror" by
Filmmaker Magazine’s Scott Macaulay,
was screened at the prestigious Lincoln
Center in New York and the National
Cinema Museum in Turin.
Mariano Baino’s artwork and photos have
been used in films, music videos and CD
covers. His distinctive drawings and
digital-art creations have been exhibited in
Italy, the UK and The United States. Most
recently at the magnificent Hall of the
Leprosarium, Naples, Italy and at the
Savoy Cityplex in Rome, Italy.
“Critics have likened Baino's work not only to
the masters of horror but to Bergman for the
use of somber atmosphere and the depth of
religious meditation.”
LA REPUBBLICA
For detailed bio and reviews please click here.
In the words of major Italian newspaper La
Repubblica: “Critics have likened Baino’s
work not only to the masters of horror but
also to Ingmar Bergman for his enigmatic
characters, somber atmosphere and
depth of religious meditation.”
He will next helm the feature film ASTRID'S
SAINTS, which he co-wrote and is
producing with actress Coralina CataldiTassoni who wlll also star in the role of
Astrid.
Mariano Baino resides in New York City.
OFFICIAL WEBSITES
www.marianobaino.com
www.facebook.com/mariano.baino.5
CORALINA CATALDI-TASSONI
“Cataldi – Tassoni throws herself in her roles
with the instincts of a mischievous child and the
intelligence of a well navigated and complete
artist... an absolutely unmissable performance.”
DREAD CENTRAL
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, a native New
Yorker, is an award winning actress and
multimedia artist, with a devoted international
fan following, thanks to her distinguished
career in seminal European masterpieces
(Phantom of The Opera, Demons 2, Mother
of Tears). Recently the book celebrating her
career CORALINA: LIFE IS ART/ART IS LIFE,
edited by journalist Filippo Brunamonti (La
Repubblica,The Huffington Post) has had the
honor to be housed at the New York Public
Library of Performing Arts.
She is also an accomplished musician and
painter. Her artwork as been successfully
exhibited in solo and group exhibits
throughout the USA and Europe. She signs
her work simply, Coralina.
For detailed bio and reviews please click here.
Next she will be starring as Astrid in
ASTRID'S SAINTS, a feature film she cowrote and is producing with director Mariano
Baino.
"Mariano and I have been working tirelessly
on producing our feature film, ASTRID'S
SAINTS, and consumed by all the business
meetings, we felt that we needed a creative
endeavor to remember who we are and why
we chose to be artists. Playing Lady
Macbeth was something that had been on
my mind for some time now, so we went for
it! And taking this leap with the magnificent
director Mariano Baino made the adventure
all the more exciting!"
OFFICIAL WEBSITES
www.coralina.net
www.coralinacontemporaryart.com
www.facebook.com/coralinacatalditassoni/
In September 2016, she won an AWARD OF
EXCELLENCE in the category Actress:
Leading, at the BEST SHORTS
COMPETITION for her role as Lady Macbeth
in LADY M 5.1.
Cataldi-Tassoni resides in New York City.
Cast
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
as
LADY MACBETH
writer & director
Mariano Baino
costume design Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
producers
Mariano Baino & Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
sound editor ◦ sound design Mariano Baino
associate producer
David Hand
sound editor ◦ sound mixer
Fabrizio Longobardo
director of photography
Andrew Libert
boom operator Anthony Watson
music
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
digital effects
Mariano Baino
editor
Mariano Baino
colorist
Alessandro Andreoli
production design
Mariano Baino
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
David Hand
script supervisor Katherine Taylor
set design
Mariano Baino Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
sound editor assistant Stefano Longobardo
hair & make up Chelsea Paige
production assistants
Katherine Taylor
Samantha Thomas
Evan Huang
Q &A WITH DIRECTOR MARIANO BAINO
WHY SHAKESPEARE?
The greatness of Shakespeare, the thing that makes his work endure, is the universal reach
of his themes and his extreme grasp of emotions and of the characters' interior life. His
insight into human nature is unparalleled. His work, because of its universality, is also
supremely adaptable. You don't have to perform Shakespeare in Elizabethan costume to
keep the essence of his work alive and be true to his spirit. Our film is all about emotions and
how mysterious they are once you start examining them. So we couldn't have got better
material to base our film on than one of the most emotion-filled tragedies from one of the
greatest writers that ever existed.
WHAT ASPECTS DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST WORKING WITH CORALINA CATALDiTASSONI?
Her keen intuition and freedom of expression. Along with a beautiful childlike innocence
enmeshed with a extreme discipline, professionalism, unrivaled work ethic and boundless
energy! She has been on stage since she was a child and the theatrical discipline of her
upbringing is very tangible. I could not have asked for a better artist to portray Lady
Macbeth.
YOU EDITED THE MOVIE YOURSELF, AS YOU HAVE DONE FOR MANY OF YOUR
PREVIOUS FILMS, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?
Let's start from the fact that I think every stage of the filmmaking process is linked and
cannot be treated in a very compartmentalized way. I can't imagine relinquishing the writing
or the editing completely to someone else. They say a film is made three times: when it's
written, when it's shot and when it's edited and I want to make sure I am the one making the
film all the way through. I know that, as the director, I would be the guiding force behind all
those processes, even if I was not handling them directly, but I like getting my hands dirty. I
like that it's my fingers doing the clicking and the tapping. I like the direct connection
between the brain and the fingers, as opposed to having to verbalize your thoughts and
desires to someone else who then has to execute the task.
This time round, of course, Coralina and I, partly out of necessity, partly by choice, covered
the majority of the production roles, and I found myself doing the clicking and the tapping in
many more areas than I had ever done before. So, as I was editing and was doing the sound
editing at the same time, it seemed only logical to handle the sound design, too. Once again,
Coralina and I had already agreed on a very specific scheme for the film's soundscape so, at
that point, it made sense to just get on with it.
COULD YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT THE SOUND DESIGN?
Conceptually, it makes sense that these creatures would absorb their sounds from the only
source that seems the object of their constant monitoring: Lady Macbeth. So every sound
they produce, every vocalization is a distortion of a sound that emanated from Coralina's
vocal chords. Even the “rumble” which can be heard under some scenes is Coralina's voice
slowed down and altered. Of course, having a performer with Coralina's almost supernatural
vocal abilities made it much easier to accomplish.
THE VISUAL EFFECTS HAVE A VERY DISTINCTIVE AESTHETIC. WHAT GUIDED THE
PROCESS?
The creatures which study Lady Macbeth were born from the detritus of civilization so,
while their bodies are made of scrap parts, their internal mechanisms and their POV
displays are recreated from a mish-mash of old and new technology and from elements
culled (and literally “cut out”) from old educational films, to represent the scraps of
knowledge they were able to assimilate from whatever was left behind after civilization
collapsed and disappeared. These were the only references available to them and that's
reflected in the style of the animations and the Visual Effects.
TELL US ABOUT THE CREATURES WHICH INHABIT THE DYSTOPIAN UNIVERSE OF THE
FILM.
These creatures are a new life-form, born from the scraps of civilization. In the same
way as current life-forms on earth originated from the so called primordial soup, the
life-forms in Lady M 5.1 originated in some sort of primordial biomechanical soup,
something made up of all the remains of life-forms and machines which currently
inhabit the globe. Once the creatures started evolving, they started absorbing whatever was left of human
knowledge and the particular creatures we show in our film took on the identities of
the characters in Macbeth. It made sense, seeing that they decided to make Lady
Macbeth the object of their never-ending study to understand human emotions, that
they would take on those identities. So that became a way to have Hecate and the
Weird Sisters be part of the scene, even if they are not part of the scene in the
original play, and it was also a way to incorporate the Doctor and the Gentlewoman,
which appear in this scene in a way, and in a form, that made sense for the universe
we were creating.
HOW WERE THE CREATURES BUILT?
I drew some concept sketches then conducted myriad pilgrimages to Manhattan's
Art Supply Stores and Hardware Stores in search of the building blocks for our
creatures. I started picking up interesting-looking pipes and tubes and mysterious
looking metal contraption. Then I sat there and started, cutting, sticking, stapling,
building, just like I used to do when I was 8 and started making films on super 8
with my brother and our friends. When it came to Hecate's post-apocaliptic skirt
and raggedy arms, I had help from the film's costume designer, which, once again,
was none other than Lady M's herself, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni.
THIS WAS FIRST FILM BEING SHOT IN THE USA SINCE RECEIVING YOUR
“EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY GREEN CARD”. WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE?
Since I was a little boy, I dreamed of making movies in the USA. I am so humbled and
appreciative of the USA welcoming me and recognizing my talent. I hope this film, and
others to follow, can be one of the ways I can express my gratitude. We filmed in Brooklyn,
and Coralina and I were so excited every morning to go to work in a city that is so dear to
both of us.
Q&A CORALINA CATALDI-TASSONI
WHY LADY MACBETH?
I grew up in the world of opera and tragic and charismatic female figures were the female role
mole models I was exposed to the most. WERE YOU VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAY OR SAW A MOVIE OF MACBETH?
In all honesty, I have to confess: I was not. I never saw the complete play nor a movie of
Macbeth. I would hear my father’s students sing arias from the Opera by Giuseppe Verdi and
I acted in a movie [Opera] which reenacted a couple of the scenes from Macbeth. I also
vaguely recall playing one of the three witches in a 7th or 8th grade play. But I realize now that this was the time for me to fully embrace this play and, in particular,
grasp this world of grown ups. At a younger age, I believe, I would have not truly understood
the implications of their actions.
IS IT TRUE ONCE YOU DECIDED TO PLAY LADY MACBETH YOU MADE IT A POINT NOT TO
LOOK AT ANY VERSIONS OF THE SOLILOQUY DONE BY OTHER ARTISTS? AND WHY IS
THAT?
Yes, it's true. I would have never done it. It would have stopped me. I wanted to feel free and
just simply be and live the feelings that I was experiencing. In reality, I still have not looked at
any other versions of the soliloquy performed by other artists.
YOU ALSO WROTE THE MUSIC AND SING IN THE FILM. WAS THIS PLANNED FROM THE
START?
No, like everything else in this short, it all started to grow organically, like seaweed! All of a
sudden, Mariano and I found ourselves enveloped in many creative aspects of the film and,
as new challenges and new opportunities would show up, we would just go to work to make it
happen. We never imagined it would grow so rapidly but it truly took a life of its own.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT EXACT MOMENT WHEN THE SEED WAS PLANTED?
Yes. I was looking up classical monologues and when I came upon “Out damn spot” I recited
out loud the first few lines and I instinctually licked my hand as to take this imaginary blood off
my hand, and I though, "this needs to be explored more." So I went to Mariano and told him I
wanted him to film me doing the soliloquy. So the seed was planted and the watering began.
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH MARIANO BAINO?
Every emotion and movement is allowed to be explored and truly experienced. I felt I was
able to take my time to really live the character. For example, when I came up with the idea to
use my hair to clean the imaginary blood Lady Macbeth sees on the floor, he took that
swaying back and forth movement and he amplified it by adding slow motion and having it
repeated over and over again. You watch this scene and the anguish and desperation just
seeps in with every sway of the hair. He truly is a Maestro at heightening emotional impact
and creating visual atmosphere. PRODUCTION COMPANY
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Astrids’s Saints, LLC in association with Cherry Bar Films. LLC
USA
COUNTRY OF PROODUCTION
SHOOTING LOCATION
USA ▪︎ ITALY
Brooklyn, New York City
SHOOTING FORMAT
HD
EXHIBITION FORMAT
DCP
RATIO
2.35:1
SOUND FORMAT
LANGUAGE
5.1 Surround
English
SUBTITLES
Italian ■ Spanish ■ French ▪︎ German
TRAILER LADY M 5.1
www.vimeo.com/ladym5point1
GENERAL CONTACT
Mariano Baino
[email protected]
+ 1 917 8046580
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Astrids’s Saints, LLC 215 Thompson Street # 258 N.Y, N.Y 10012 USA
WEBSITE
ladym5-1film.com