Tomaso Pessina is a screenwriter and director who lives and works in Milan. His introduction to filmmaking was via courses at New York University, but more importantly, his experience on set working with his mentor Pupi Avati, Giulio Manfredonia, and Antonio Albanese, among others. Once back in Milan, he and Elena Pedrazzini co-founded Twin Studio, a production company and creative space that made films about fashion and the art world. Pessina has made numerous videos and documentaries in Italy, Europe, America and China, all experiences that gave him the privilege of working with stars such as Penelope Cruz, Leo Wu Lei and Liu Shishi.
"When we thought about how to portray an artist on screen, our first answer was: through the physicality of his brushstrokes. Our second answer was: in his own words. These were the two cornerstones of our investigation into Vedova. We let the words of Vedova's diary guide us, read movingly by Toni Servillo, as well as the voice of the artist himself and images of the artist that emerge from partly unpublished archival footage. Vedova's painting reflects the volcanic personality of a witness to troubled times, all against the sumptuous backdrop of the city of Venice, in all its splendor and shadows." [Tomaso Pessina]
