The Hand of God, which has was nominated for an Oscar in the Best International Feature category, was written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo, The Great Beauty, The Young Pope). The film tells the story of Fabietto Schisa, a teen growing up in Naples in the 1980s. The Hand of God, Sorrentino’s very personal story, is about fate, family, sports, cinema, love and loss.
DP Daria D’Antonio
Sorrentino’s director of photography on the film was fellow Naples native Daria D’Antonio. The pair are frequent collaborators. In fact, her next film will be Mob Girl, directed by Sorrentino and starring Jennifer Lawrence
We reached out to D’Antonio to find out about her workflow on The Hand of God…
How early did you get involved in the planning of The Hand of God? What direction were you given about the look they wanted?
I became attached to the project immediately after I read the script. I jumped right into it with my entire being, head and heart. I have been involved in virtually all of Paolo’s projects, starting in the early 2000s. We have known each other and been working together for many years, so I was very happy that he asked me to work on his movie, especially for his most personal and intimate project.
We kicked off the prepro stage with a meeting of all the heads of departments. What I found most impressive was Paolo’s suggestion that we think of the movie as the moment in which each and every one of us first fell in love with cinema. This channeled my inspiration in a great way — cinema seen as growth: cinema seen as salvation.
How would you describe the look and your approach in getting it?
I asked Paolo to talk to me a little bit about his memories, whether there were any specific atmospheres that were dear to his heart — and then I blended those with mine. We come from the same city, and we have very similar families. We started to work in the film industry more or less at the same time, years ago, and we used to hang out at many of the places depicted in the movie.
Family photos were an important resource for me — looking back at the past through the gaze of a young boy was fantastic. The same young boy then went on to become the very man that I’ve known for so long — the brother and director I hold in such high regard, endowed with such an amazing ability to tell interesting stories. My approach was absolutely mimetic and hinged on respect for the storytelling process.
How did you go about choosing the right camera and lenses for this project?
Technical choices should be determined by an expressive or storytelling need, so we specifically chose a large-format camera — the Red Monstro with ARRI Signature lenses. In doing so, I noticed that I ended up using something that I thought allowed me to be even closer to young Fabietto’s way of looking at things. When one is young, one feels that they see everything very clearly, even though nothing is actually that sharp.
DP Daria D’Antonio behind camera
I loved that the image was rich in detail and soft at the same time. All the elements in the frame were sharp, but the human figure was the absolute protagonist — feelings and emotions could be perceived in their essence.
How did you work with colorist Andrea Orsini to achieve the intended look? Did she create a LUT for use on-set? How did that help?
I’ve been working with Andrea Orsini for years as well. For this, we used a film emulation LUT, cleaning up dominant tones and small imperfections. We opted for low saturation values without ruling out the possibility of enhancing certain components when we deemed it appropriate.
Any challenging scenes that you are particularly proud of?
The scene of the first big family meal was a significant challenge. We had many cameras rolling at the same time; it was obviously shot in sequence and split over several days. It is a scene I love.
A fantastic cast alleviated any kind of tension regarding my main concern: continuity. It was a day that enveloped all the beautiful days in one’s life — that is what Paolo told me. It is the wonderful result that the protagonists gave us as a gift.
How did you become interested in cinematography? And what inspires you artistically?
My interest in cinematography originated in the darkroom. When I was about 16, I discovered that magical place — an infinite space of freedom and creativity. From then on, I kept on studying and experimenting on my own. Then the lifesaving encounter with cinema happened. I worked in the camera department for many years, at first as video assist operator, then as a loader and eventually as a camera operator. After that, I started with a documentary. Then a movie materialized, and then another one, and here I am. I started, and I never stopped. I am deeply in love with my job. I’m deeply in love with stories, people, places, traveling, reading, looking, observing. Day-to-day life is my inspiration.
DP Daria D’Antonio behind camera
What new technology has changed the way you work?
I find technology intriguing, and I believe it is important to be aware of the advantages and opportunities for greater creativity that it gives us. For me, it brings added value; it is not always the ultimate solution by any means. The new sensors are so sensitive, cameras and lights are smaller and smaller, and that has opened up new opportunities for my way of working.
What are some of your best practices or rules you try to follow on each job?
When I start a project, I always try to understand what the director’s intentions are by spending as much time with them as possible. I love the preparation and study stage. I also find it very useful to go back to the locations where we will shoot, over and over again, to find inspiration and to become familiar with them in depth. I always try to keep up my constant faith in images and stories.
