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John C. Reilly takes on the role of Buffalo Bill in the thought-provoking tale “Heads or Tails?” (Testa o croce?), a fresh western film from Italian directors Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis, who are known for their work on “The Tale of King Crab“. This movie will have its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.

The film stars Nadia Tereszkiewicz, a French-Finnish actress known for her roles in “Red Island” and “The Crime Is Mine,” and Alessandro Borghi, an Italian actor recognized from “Supersex” and “The Eight Mountains.” This movie explores ideas such as fame, myths, and storytelling.

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In the upcoming movie, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, a talented actress of both French and Finnish descent who has been in films like “Red Island” and “The Crime Is Mine,” joins forces with Alessandro Borghi, an esteemed Italian actor from “Supersex” and “The Eight Mountains.” The film delves into themes such as fame, myths, and storytelling.

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Nadia Tereszkiewicz, a French-Finnish actress with credits in “Red Island” and “The Crime Is Mine,” teams up with Alessandro Borghi, an Italian actor from “Supersex” and “The Eight Mountains.” The film they are working on explores the complexities of fame, myths, and storytelling.

The narrative, penned by the creative duo alongside Carlo Salsa, commences by recounting an authentic 1890 journey taken by Buffalo Bill, a renowned frontiersman, to Europe for showcasing his acclaimed “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.” During this tour, the allure of American frontier life was introduced and popularized.

At the performance, Rosa (Tereszkiewicz), a young nobleman’s wife, develops affection for Santino (Borghi), an Italian ranch hand, also known as a buttero, who triumphs over Buffalo Bill’s team in a competition. The plot summary mentions that when Rosa’s husband is discovered deceased, a reward is issued for capturing Santino. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Buffalo Bill finds himself pursued by them.

01 The distribution company is set to premiere the buzzworthy movie in Italian theaters, whereas RAI Cinema International Distribution manages its sales in other regions.

Rigo de Righi and Zoppis discussed with THR the motivations behind their latest movie, how its subjects mirror current events, the enthusiasm Reilly demonstrated in his performance, the link between the new pope and Buffalo Bill, and the legend surrounding America.

In what way does Heads or Tails further develop or expand upon some of the ideas you presented in The Tale of King Crab?

Continuation Without a Doubt Our partnership initially stemmed from our shared fascination with oral stories and legends. As children, we were captivated by the tale of Buffalo Bill’s arrival and the subsequent rodeo. Interestingly, my grandmother’s mother allegedly attended the Wild West Show where she saw him, making this story a part of our family lore. Being half-American, I found the concept of America visiting Italy and blending the cultures intriguing on a personal level. Therefore, in some sense, the film’s narrative resonated with me because it brought together these two distinct cultures.

The recently appointed Pope goes by Leo XIV, following the tradition of a predecessor named Leo XIII. It was under Leo XIII that Buffalo Bill and the Native American delegation paid a visit to Rome and Italy.

The new pontiff is known as Leo XIV, mirroring his predecessor, Leo XIII. This particular Leo XIII welcomed Buffalo Bill and a group of Native Americans during their trip to Rome and Italy.

You shared your enthusiasm for folklore and myths. In your upcoming film, not only do you narrate a story, but you also delve into the art of storytelling itself and its mechanics. Furthermore, the film leaves one questioning who is virtuous and who is vile. Given our social media-driven era where everyone seems to spin their own unique tale, how much does this movie mirror contemporary issues?

You expressed your fascination with stories and myths. In your upcoming production, you not only convey a narrative but also explore the craft of storytelling and its dynamics. Moreover, the film keeps one questioning who is righteous and who is wicked. With our age dominated by social media, where everyone seems to tell their own version of events, how much does this movie resonate with modern challenges?

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You spoke about your love for tales and legends. In your upcoming cinematic endeavor, you do not just narrate a story but also examine the process of storytelling and its nuances. Furthermore, the film leaves one questioning who is noble and who is nefarious. Given our era where social media reigns, with everyone spinning their own unique yarn, how much does this movie reflect contemporary predicaments?

Ultimately, each version aims to convey that the film not only tells a story but also delves into the mechanics of storytelling and its relevance in today’s social media-dominated world.

In our perspective, the narrative carries strong resonances with the modern world as we experience it today. Initially, when crafting the script, we aimed to initiate the movie in a traditional setting – featuring the typical protagonist, an honorable cowboy, this time of Italian descent, who triumphs and appears to be the hero. However, as the story unfolds, this conventional image is gradually dismantled. Furthermore, the theme of fame and how it can shape one’s life or perspective mirrors a contemporary sensation that audiences can relate to through Santino’s character.

When creating our initial movie, we focused on a well-known tale deeply rooted in the Roman countryside. The allure lay in the transformations the narrative underwent as it passed from person to person, thus giving birth to a kind of folklore or urban legend.

Our generation initially lacked the internet, but eventually gained access to it at a later stage. The impact on us, being able to access vast amounts of information, is something I can still recall vividly. Contrary to today’s era, misinformation and skepticism towards reality were not as prevalent back then. This experience is deeply ingrained within us, shaping our societal dynamics. Anyone who was captivated by bedtime stories growing up will resonate with this sentiment. We were spellbound just by listening to tales, and they had an uncanny ability to transform us. In another film, a character notes that earlier, people would gather around the fire to share stories, as television did not exist then. This is the essence of the message.

America seems to be getting a lot of attention lately. What are your thoughts on the idea of America that Buffalo Bill discusses, particularly his emphasis on freedom? I found it amusing that Rosa expresses a desire to visit America, while Santino doesn’t even know where it is.

In America, specifically New York, we shared a life together. Undoubtedly, there were emotions associated with that time, and it’s interesting to note that the dream we had for our life there often differed significantly from reality. The gap between expectation and experience can be striking. I believe some of these insights stem from personal experiences.

Our intention in having the character be unaware of America’s location was to emphasize the vast distance between the characters, while simultaneously setting up a classic American cowboy archetype for subversion. Initially, this cowboy figure serves as our protagonist, though he is innocent and falsely accused, which paradoxically fuels his rise to fame. However, it becomes apparent that the true heroine of the story lies elsewhere.

To achieve a compelling portrayal of the cowboy character, we collaborated with Alessandro Borghi, who brought a complex and layered performance to the role. His character embodies simplicity but harbors hidden vanity and pride, along with other concealed flaws that gradually come to light throughout the narrative.

The movie commences with a scene that introduces a novel concept – The Wild West Show, which played a significant role in shaping the Western myth. This initial portrayal of America is something Rosa grasps. As she becomes enamored with Buffalo Bills’ tales, her dreams are ignited. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Buffalo Bill is the mastermind behind the movie’s narrative.

In this scenario, you’re moving alongside a certain object, but we purposely destroy it, causing it to drop. Afterward, you reassemble it, only for it to break and fall once more. The intriguing aspect is that through this process, you eventually draw your own conclusions.

You’ve been discussing characters, heroes, villains. It seems like movies are your thing. They present and let us live through a human story. You’re deeply involved in it. And it often shows various perspectives, both sides of the same issue.>

In a nutshell, the performers seem incredibly real on-screen. To what extent were Nadia and Alessandro astonishing in how deeply they immersed themselves into their roles?

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but share my experience working closely with the cast, discussing scripts, references, and ideas – both ours and theirs. We provided ample room for creativity, yet the real magic happened when we stepped onto the set and encountered our characters face-to-face for the first time. It was a bit different than what I had envisioned, but strangely familiar. However, Buffalo Bill proved to be an even greater surprise. Despite our preconceived notions and intended tone, John infused the character with his unique brand of irony and humanity that truly brought him to life.

How did John C. Reilly actually come on board?

As a die-hard fan, I found myself in an unprecedented situation when meeting John Zoppis, who was the spitting image of Buffalo Bill during his Rome sojourn on his second trip there. With our team having never collaborated with an American actor previously, everything felt fresh and exciting. When he perused the script and we had a chance to converse with him, his long beard and initial suggestions left us in awe. Upon hanging up, I recall the exhilaration as we exclaimed: “Wow, this is Buffalo Bill!” It was uncanny – the resemblance was striking, but it wasn’t just that; he infused the character with a deeply human element, grasping the nuances and subtleties of the role. The irony, too, was not lost on him, which made our collaboration all the more rewarding.

How did you learn about Buffalo Bill and build that character and his voice?

Rigo de Righi To begin with, we read numerous books, and later moved on to many pulp fiction novels as well. There are countless old pulp fiction novels, and that’s what the small booklet [shown in the movie] symbolizes. These were our means of incorporating the old adventure stories from these novels. We also conducted extensive research about him, after which we started conceptualizing how he could have been in reality.

Upon joining us, John turned out to be an ideal fit, both in terms of tone and creativity. He not only offered unique ideas but also provided valuable input on the character’s development, particularly focusing on its ironic elements. Additionally, he suggested the mannerisms and appearance of the character, even proposing the costume he wears in the latter half of the movie. All in all, his contributions were intriguing and delightful.

Did you ever find any video footage of Buffalo Bill?

Rigo de Righi Indeed, there’s film material available. Initially, we contemplated using it. However, we decided against it because we felt it might add an overly historical feel. Instead, our aim was to depict the legend and our interpretations of events. We chose to deviate from historical accuracy in favor of creative freedom.

What was the footage you found like?

In our search, we found an old video of Buffalo Bill crossing a river, but he’s chasing someone who doesn’t really exist. There seems to be someone operating the camera, and it’s clear that Buffalo Bill is just pretending. Yet, when we watched it, it felt like we had discovered the perfect fit for our vision.>

I’d like to discuss Nadia’s character with you. Was there a focus on creating a feminist narrative when developing her? Her journey truly resonated with me, and I couldn’t help but cheer her on throughout the story.

As a gamer here, I’m thrilled to hear we share the same experience! We, as the game directors, aimed to depict that character in a challenging manner. Credit goes to Nadia for her exceptional performance, which was nothing short of intensely captivating. In other words, she really brought the character to life in an astonishing way.

Rigo de Righi speaks of layers and delicate adjustments. She is incredibly delicate in her actions. She undertook some truly delicate actions that we found extremely intriguing. Our aim with the script was primarily to dismantle the traditional concept of the cowboy’s hero and pave the way for her transformation into the film’s leading lady.

How early did you know that the title would be Heads or Tails? for this one?

In movies, once a title is set, it typically remains unchanged throughout the film’s run. This is an interesting phenomenon related to titles in films.

Rigo de Righi It seems that all the movie titles we used were decided quite early on in the production process.

The Movie’s Theme centered around destiny and the consequences when choosing between two options, symbolized by flipping a coin. Essentially, it explored the idea of asserting one’s own will over personal desires.

As a captivated admirer, I found an intriguing concept in the “flip” resonating deeply within me. It’s not merely the flip of a coin and its opposite sides, but also the duality of characters that mirrors our own struggles. It touched on many themes we were eager to explore, making it an irresistible draw for my interest.

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2025-05-20 15:57