Interview: Antonio Marziale on ‘Starfuckers’
Antonio Marziale is mostly known for his role as Elliot in hit Netflix rom-com Alex Strangelove, a sweet and charming coming-of-age movie about finding and accepting yourself. His directorial debut Starfuckers, which recently had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, couldn’t be more different. A provocative, mesmerizing and ultimately cathartic exploration of power dynamics in the industry, it also features dynamic turns from Cole Doman and Marziale himself, who delivers an unforgettable tour-de-force of a performance in the short film. We recently spoke to Marziale about everything from the inspiration behind the film to the possibility of turning it into a full-length feature to upcoming Netflix series Grendel, in which he will star in as the villain.
Film Updates: How does it feel to have your movie debut at Sundance?
Antonio Marziale: Dream come true. I am beyond grateful, excited and estatic. Every positive emotion you can imagine, just put it in there.
Film Updates: What was the inspiration behind the film?
Antonio Marziale: I’ve always just been so inspired by drag performances. And also, the specific issue we tackle in the film isn’t just prevalent in Hollywood, but Hollywood was just a nice backdrop because it is kind of a known environment where power dynamics are clearer. So we set it there, but it could be other places. But it does tie into the concept of the Hollywood Starlet, specifically the tone of the second half of the film. But I was thinking about processing trauma through art, and I wanted to give the characters a lot of agency and tackle a serious subject matter, but with a surprising tone. I think you can discuss really serious topics through a lot of different ways, as long as you have a lot of heart in it.
Film Updates: How did Cole Doman become involved?
Antonio Marziale: This film went through so many different variations, and Cole was involved really early on. We talked about wanting to create a thriller LGBT+ film because both of us just love them so much. As it went on, I think I became more involved in the heavy lifting, but Cole definitely was involved in the creation of his character. And the specificity of his code-switching was something that we talked about a lot before we went to shoot the film.
Film Updates: Were there any films or filmmakers you were inspired by?
Antonio Marziale: Funny Games and the films of Yorgos Lanthimos. Carl Theodor Dreyer‘s The Passion of Joan of Arc as well. I love that movie and the expression on the main actress’ face is so intense. I knew that I wanted that last shot to emulate that, especially with the whites of the eyes, the tears. Matt Pothier, our DP, is so brilliant, and we really harmonized with one another in the creation of this. Dogtooth was a big influence, as well, for the first half of the film.
Film Updates: The house the film takes place in is so gorgeous. How did you find it? What was it like filming there?
Antonio Marziale: The house becomes a character in the film in a way that I didn’t realize was going to reinforce what we were trying to drive home so much. I knew that we needed a house of a certain caliber to shoot this, but a house that we had originally planned to shoot in actually fell through last minute and [producer] Eli [Raskin] found this beautiful house, which was Charlotte Taschen‘s house, who’s also a producer on the film. She’s a filmmaker in her own right so she understands how challenging it can be to shoot in Los Angeles. People are quite aggressive about how much is required money-wise. But yeah, we definitely were super inspired by the house and there’s literally like a stage built into the house. It was amazing.
Film Updates: Why did you name the film Starfuckers?
Antonio Marziale: I knew I wanted something provocative from the start. What I like about it is that it’s specific but also broad. Who is the starfucker? Is it the kids? Or are they the stars? And is the director the starfucker? It also plays into a small moment in the film that talks about how black holes come to be, and how they warp the space around them with the weight of their mass, how they kind of suck in things around them. I was trying to parallel that idea with what fame can do to people, how it can warp their perception of reality in a way that they don’t even realize. And if you get close enough, you experience that as well.
Film Updates: Are you planning on turning it into a feature?
Antonio Marziale: We’re definitely thinking about it hard, honestly. I think to pull off a short and pull off a feature are two really, really different things. I do want to make a feature of this, but I also know that it’s going to take a lot of time, and I definitely want it to be threaded with a lot of specific moments in the same way that the short is. But to spend more time in this world, with these characters, I would love to do that. It’s a journey that I feel really grateful to be on as a first-time filmmaker, and I’m really excited to see how [a full-length feature] would come about.
Film Updates: You’re also going to be in a new Netflix series.
Antonio Marziale: It’s called Grendel, which is based on the comic by Dark Horse Entertainment. It’s been really fun to shoot. I just wrapped that and I’m excited for it to come out.
Starfuckers recently premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. It will also screen at Berlinale.