THE NIGHTSHIFT BELONGS TO THE STARS

We all have our mountains to climb. For the five-year old girl, it is riding her bicycle without training wheels. For the teenage boy, it is getting that first kiss. For some, it is surviving an ever treacherous economy, for others it is surviving an illness.

For the characters in this film, Sonia and Matteo, the mountain to climb is a literal one. It is a vow they make to each other the eve of their respective heart surgeries. They share a common passion for mountaineering and promise that, if they survive the operation, they will meet in 6 months time to climb a 12 thousand feet high summit in the Italian Dolomites.

The film tells the story of that climb and the courage to live when you thought your days were numbered; challenging your body and spirit to turn those vulnerabilities into your greatest strengths. That for every beat left in your heart, there is hope for change and renewal. There is hope for love: either discovering a new one, or rediscovering one you thought had traveled its course.

What was important to me in telling this story was to combine the epic majesty of the Italian Alps with the minutia of the narrative’s human intimacy. For the breathtaking scenery not to overshadow the human detail but for one to elevate the other and finally to create a landscape not only of natural beauty, but of emotion. The landscape for a second chance at life.

Edoardo Ponti

DOLOMITI