It was an editorial case, becoming the most read book of 2022 in Italy. It already seemed sensational enough, but now The Maker of Tears has set off to conquer the world, becoming the most watched non-English language film ever on Netflix. Just like the novel, written by the very Italian Erin Doom – the author initially presented herself only with this pseudonym, and then became known as Matilde, keeping her surname unknown -, also the adaptation directed by Alessandro Genovesi and produced by Iginio Straffi and Alessandro Usai for Colorado Film went to the top of the charts in almost all 190 countries, becoming the most watched title globally. For Straffi, it is not only a satisfaction but a successful bet: «My belief, I would even say my magnificent obsession, is to create products that from Italy can reach the attention of the whole world. With the right stories, created with the necessary care, then we can aspire to produce content in Italy that also works abroad.”
A bit Romeo and Juliet, a bit «Twilight» with more than a pinch of the aesthetics of Tim Burton’s Wednesday series. The tormented love between the two young protagonists of The Tears Maker has many references, even on a visual level: «I really wanted the rights to the book – continues Straffi -. Once acquired, we said to ourselves whether it was appropriate to immediately make an international film and therefore in English, perhaps set in America… but if we had decided like this, I would not have fully demonstrated my theory, so we opted to act in Italian”. The choice, consequently, was to set the film «in a “non-place” and we wanted unknown actors in the cast (with the exception of Biondo: the singer is the tormented co-protagonist) who however quickly reached the top of all the world. This is what Italian creativity has managed to do». The attention to detail, according to the producer, made the difference: «My approach is that which comes from animation, where attention to detail is everything. For the film I created storyboards myself, all to build a product that had a global appeal from the start.”
Before the debut, he admits, «my legs were shaking a bit. I had asked for trust from both Netflix and Salani, the publisher. I would say that in just a few days we have already gone beyond expectations and promises (so much so that the book has already recorded a new increase in sales).” It was fundamental to understand early on that The Maker of Tears was a title to bet on: «We have a very attentive editorial team, which immediately intercepted the phenomenon. This was the first essential step. The relationship with the author was excellent from the beginning: I’m an author too, and I think this was an advantage for both of us.” Straffi knows what it means to see others adapting one of their own creations: «In the transposition of Winx from a few years ago (also from Netflix) I had to compromise with the writers. Who better than me can understand an author’s discomfort in seeing himself represented by others? I tried to limit any manipulation to a minimum, respecting the book even in the dialogues: there are those who found them unnatural, but my desire was to remain as faithful as possible to the book.”
A book that will now, in all likelihood, continue its journey beyond our borders: «I feel like breathing a sigh of relief... and now I expect at least one good bottle from Salani. Jokes aside, this success is undoubtedly invigorating for everyone.” A success based on an impossible love between two boys with complicated lives. Torment is very popular with the younger generations. «Yes, but I’ve always liked it, only that first we looked for it in Baudelaire. Young people have always been caught up in a world that speaks of decadence, melancholy, lost loves. I had identified all these elements in the book and wanted to stage them. The satisfaction is then seeing the project completed in a relatively short time: with animation you have to wait at least two and a half years.” Why did you choose to make a film and not a series? «One thing does not exclude the other: the over 600 pages of the novel lend themselves to being explored in depth, there are some subplots that we have just touched on but which deserved more. So who knows, we could work very well on it.” © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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