MATTEO GUASTAMACCHIO
writer + director
As a creative, I’m drawn to stories about overcoming challenges. I love how art can strike a chord in us that is impossible to achieve otherwise, whether through sound or visuals, when done right. I think film is one of the most powerful mediums, because it is the culmination of all these forms.
I couldn’t be happier with the angle we’re taking here. As much of a fan of The Godfather as I am, not every Italian American movie needs to be about criminals. This one is about the underdog. A story for those who know what it’s like to pursue a goal and come up short.
Sometimes we can’t do it on our own and I know I wouldn’t be able to accomplish this if it weren’t for the support and collaboration of everyone behind the scenes.
The malocchio not only shows up as IBS and headaches. It can also manifest as bad luck.
I’ve definitely had my fair share of bad luck, which is what inspired me to write 'malocchio.'
Let’s take Thanksgiving 2018, for instance…THE FLOODS
pt 1
Dinner Turned Disaster
My now fiancée, had her sister visiting and all I wanted was to give them a nice holiday to remember. Instead we were interrupted by a call — my apartment had flooded from the ceiling with dirty water. my upstairs neighbor had shoved a sock in her tub. At least, that's what they said.
My money is on my slumlord sabotaging the property for insurance money.
Not much was salvageable, but it sure was a memorable Holiday.
WE CALL THIS
THE FIRST FLOOD
pt 2
Five Feet Under
Three years later, fresh off the heels of a global pandemic, a storm hit overnight.
I was woken up by a text: "Do not enter buildings. The Red Cross is on site."
When I arrived home I found the stairwell down to my apartment underwater, the floor invisible and my unit destroyed.
Instruments, camera and recording gear, 82 TB’s of hard drives, years of work — gone overnight, submerged by 5 feet of water.
THE SECOND FLOOD
WE CALL THIS
pt 3
The Last Nail
Needing to get away and reset, I drove back to Connecticut from Nashville. While home, I was caught in a freak downpour — a flood. My car stalled out, ultimately, getting totaled. I thought, “This is the last straw.
I’m still young enough to change my career path. Should I?” What would young Matt say? Does that matter?
WE CALL THIS
THE THIRD FLOOD
Some say I'm cursed…maybe.
But, this film is not a biography, nor is it a retelling of those bizarre floods. I share these stories because they are in the spirit of this movie. Reminders that bad luck doesn’t care what your plans are.
What matters is finding what it takes to persevere through adversity and find deeper meaning — in life, in career, in family. We are only as strong as the support we receive from our friends and family.
