La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno · 7 April 2015
The Stifani twins, following Spielberg’s trail
After theatrical successes, a documentary about Duel
English translation of the original 2015 feature and companion profile.
NEVIANO. Steven Spielberg’s attention turns to two men from Salento. Luca and Gabriele Stifani, originally from Neviano but living in England for fifteen years, have set their first feature-length cinema project in motion. After theatrical successes around the world and awards for numerous short films, they return to their “first great love” with a documentary about Duel, Spielberg’s first film. Made in 1971 on a small budget without major stars, it mesmerised audiences with an unseen, terrifying truck driver pursuing a lone motorist along the desert roads of Southern California. The twins’ documentary is called The Devil on Wheels, or DOW, and will travel from Salento to California to uncover the secret of Duel’s success. The first promotional trailer shows Neviano and their mother Agatuccia saying goodbye before they leave for America. Amblin Entertainment, the film and television company founded by Spielberg, has been informed and is following the project with considerable interest. “Our aim is to investigate this film’s power and reveal the magic of its timelessness,” says Gabriele. Luca adds: “Even today, film experts study the deeper meaning behind Duel, while aspiring directors analyse how it was made.”
The Salento filmmakers will work with a distinguished international team: Roger Allen, a British film producer with more than twenty-five years’ experience and an IT expert at the Daily Mail; Roger Vicente, a Spanish journalist and cameraman living and working in China; and Manuel Rodriguez, a video editor based in Barcelona. The project’s director is Enrich Folch, an award-winning Spanish television director. “When Enrich asked me to explore finding the right team for Duel, I immediately thought of Luca and Gabriele. Besides a brotherly friendship lasting a decade, I have great respect for them professionally,” says Roger Allen. Folch adds: “I was fascinated by their spontaneity.” The Devil on Wheels production will launch a crowdfunding campaign, inviting public funding through donations and rewards, with supporters choosing their contribution.
On a typically rainy London morning in their small flat, also serving as a film-production office in Westminster, Luca admits nostalgically: “We cannot wait to return to Salento and involve our homeland in this project once again, filming additional scenes.” Gabriele explains emotionally that they are searching for the right location for the documentary’s premiere. “It will certainly premiere in Italy, but our dream is to screen it in Salento, welcoming fans from around the world.”
Companion profile: a strong Christian faith and a passion for cinema
NEVIANO. Luca and Gabriele wear the same clothes in different colours, gesture in the same way and always make the sign of the cross before eating. Born on the same day, 13 September 1980, the Stifani brothers have shared everything ever since: their values, a strong Christian faith and their great passion for cinema.
Two complementary artistic souls: Luca specialises in sound and Gabriele in graphics. “I still remember our father taking us on holiday to Venice when we were ten. We were mesmerised by the video camera our uncle lent us,” says Luca. “After examining it for a few days, we broke our father’s rule not to touch it. Whenever we were not helping our parents in the butcher’s shop, we spent hours editing films,” adds Gabriele.
Their passion took them far away, to Newcastle in northern England, where they graduated with top marks in directing and film production. Speaking emotionally by telephone between London and Neviano, their father Totò recalls that at nineteen Luca and Gabriele tried to study filmmaking at a prestigious university in Rome, but the fees were too high.
“With a large family of five children, we could not afford those expenses. Both tried working to support themselves, but rent and university costs made continuing impossible,” Totò explains. “Luca and Gabriele told us they wanted to pursue their dream in the United Kingdom. They won scholarships to Northumbria University, and their graduation day will remain forever in our memory.”
Totò recalls an incident illustrating their faith: “When I visited them years ago, the priest in Newcastle told me my sons were a joy to humanity because of their generosity. To me, that confirmed I had done a good job. It is values, not material wealth, that shape a person.” He adds: “Wherever they are in the world, my sons always seek out a church in which to practise their religion.” Now that they are preparing to fly to America for the Spielberg documentary, Totò readily admits: “I would love to go with them and share this wonderful experience. I have always loved cinema too, and now I am making that passion real with my sons.”
Their mother Agata admits with some embarrassment: “I have not been able to watch the scene my sons filmed of me again. One morning they said they would be filming, and I agreed without a second thought. We have always supported their great passion.” Friends support them too. Patrizia Simone from Neviano says: “Luca and Gabriele have always called me aunt, although we are not related. Our families have always been close. Whenever they return to Italy, they visit and ask me to go and eat a frisella with the same spontaneity they had as children. I have always enjoyed meeting the many friends from all over the world they have brought on holiday.”
From Nardò, Roberto and Fabio Colella emphasise their humility: “We have known the Stifani twins and their family for many years, and have never doubted that Luca and Gabriele could travel the world without losing their authenticity.”