GABRIELE TACCHI, DIRECTOR OF 'WHEN BUYING A FINE MURDER'
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4-TIME NOMINEE BEST BEST FILM (MEDIUM-LENGTH), BEST THRILLER, BEST EDITING + BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Diving into the Mind of a Hitman: An Interview with Gabriele Tacchi, Director of "When Buying a Fine Murder"

In the world of cinema, there are few things more exhilarating than witnessing a new talent emerge, armed with a gripping and unique vision. Gabriele Tacchi, the visionary Italian filmmaker, has made waves in the industry with his latest film, "When Buying a Fine Murder." This electrifying thriller has garnered an impressive four nominations at the prestigious Lonely Wolf International Film Festival in the categories of Best Film (Medium-Length), Best Thriller, Best Editing and Best Supporting Actress.

The film's protagonist, Ronald Raynolds, art dealer by day and professional hitman by night, finds himself in a twisted and enigmatic situation when he is contracted to kill none other than himself. With the mysterious Walter Brandi as the mastermind behind the contract, the audience is taken on an enthralling journey as Ronald desperately tries to uncover the reason behind this peculiar request, all while questioning his own reality and the people around him.

Born and raised in Rome, Gabriele Tacchi's passion for storytelling and cinema is evident in his diverse background. A graduate in cinema studies with a focus on the use of colors in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village," Gabriele has also studied anthropological theater and the Commedia dell’Arte at the Ygramul Theater of Rome. He further honed his filmmaking skills at USC - School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, where he produced and directed the sci-fi short film, "Shades."

In addition to his filmmaking career, Tacchi works as a voice actor, dubbing major foreign productions in Italian. His creative energy also extends to directing and producing his own shows and independent movies, most recently through his production company, Galaxia Prime Productions. A true multi-hyphenate, Gabriele's passion for storytelling is also evident in his love for fiction, comics, and storytelling games.

Featuring a stellar cast including Marco Quaglia as Ronald Raynolds, Maddalena Vallecchi Williams as Helen Thorpe, and Gianfranco Miranda as Walter Brandi, "When Buying a Fine Murder" is a testament to Gabriele Tacchi's skill as a director, writer, and producer. With a compelling story developed by Emmanuele Rossi from an original idea by Jack Ritchie, Tacchi's film is set to captivate audiences around the world.

Join us as we delve into the mind of Gabriele Tacchi and explore the inspiration and creative process behind "When Buying a Fine Murder," the film that is taking the Lonely Wolf International Film Festival by storm.

What inspired you to make this film? Can you share a little about the genesis of the idea?

The short movie is based on a short story by Jack Ritchie, an author that Hitchcock loved a lot. So, the first thing that attracted me was the line about the hitman hiring, at the very beginning of the short story. It was a very well-played piece of literature. A very good story hook.
I was also particularly struck by the execution of the plan and these minutes stolen from the character of Walter Brandi (the original name in the story is Brandt).
These stolen minutes are kind of the heart of the story. These two elements are what convinced me the most. I have to say that when I read the story, I immediately thought of a feature film with hundreds of ideas rushing through my head. The possibility of telling so many things was there, but I had to and wanted to tell more. So I also exploited the double life of Ronald Raynolds to make sense of these details that, in a short story, are clarified within less than a line of dialogue. The tale of his double life was very stimulating for me.

How did you approach the subject matter of this film? What research or preparatory work was involved?

First of all, I had to do an adaptation. I needed to adapt a 1950-1960s short story in a modern context: a hacker instead of a classic noir private detective. The way in which the hitman was hired in the book was through a post office box, always the same modus operandi. In our modern era, it's more realistic to use the internet and deep web, mixed with something analogical and practical.
The second reason was production-related. I live in Italy and wanted to shoot there, both for production and artistic reasons. It's easier for me to find locations, to manage bureaucracy, and to use my connections with people in the industry. So I needed to transpose the story in Italy with English characters: not only English-speaking people but to find a motive to have English people in Rome.
The last reason was the role of Helen, the wife. I don't want to spoil anything but in the original short story, she was treated as any female character was treated in 1950s literature: basically, a very shallow character with only the aesthetic motivation of living. It was very hard to adapt the female role, but I think that I created something interesting while still remaining in the noir genre.

Can you share some of the challenges you faced during the production of this film? How did you overcome them?

Time is always a difficult factor to manage. You can't get enough. So the improv factor is always very high. We did a lot of preparation to reduce the working time on the set, but improvisation is still very difficult to manage. Beatrice Belli, our executive producer, to whom I owe all the success of this short film, managed to organize the shooting in an extraordinary way. Just think that we filmed in covid times, so everything had to be managed in the best possible way for our safety. Luckily we didn't need to improvise due to covid.

Your film has been described as "powerful" and “innovative”. What do you believe gives it this quality? Was this something you consciously worked towards?

I can say that this is thanks to my style: using different genres within the same narration. I love to mix characters, genres, aesthetics, and visuals all together. So I think that I am used to doing this for all my projects and I didn't have problems thinking in this direction. I love this kind of narrative exploration and explosion. Of course, every project is different and one must always put the needs of the project and the story as the top priorities.

How have audiences responded to the film so far? Have there been any reactions that particularly surprised or moved you?

I was very surprised by the audience's reaction. The thing that made me proud of this work was that at the end of the movie, the audience wanted more. This is a great payoff for me. We've won 55 awards all around the globe, and we are very proud of it.

Can you share your thought process behind the film's ending? Without giving away spoilers, what were you hoping to leave the audience with?

The ending is always the most challenging part of a movie. For me, it's particularly difficult because of the writing process. I admire Sergio Leone for how he wrote "triello" (a three-way duel) as the ending for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I wish I could think of an ending as simple, emotional, and visual. For When Buying a Fine Murder's finale, I had to write a new one compared to the original short story, because Jack Ritchie's story ending was very old and literary.
I hope the ending leaves the audience stunned by the journey they have experienced. My style is very image-heavy, and I want the ending to be both relaxing and memorable.

What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers who want to create impactful and entertaining cinema?

I didn't expect such a question, especially since I still consider myself an aspiring filmmaker, even though I have several productions under my belt. My advice? Remove judgment from the process entirely. Avoid judging your own work and ideas. Surround yourself with people who stimulate and encourage you to continue creating - those with positive energies. Next, take even just 3 or 4 movies that you love from an author recognized as a master, and watch them until they reveal no more secrets. That's where you really learn from the masters. Finally, the most obvious step: take your cell phone, an old storybook without copyright issues, 3-4 friends, and try to make at least one short film a month for a couple of years. Don't worry, it's for you, it's okay if it's not perfect. It's for learning.

Is there anything you would have done differently in retrospect?

Yes, many things, mostly because of the details. I wish I had had more time to pay attention to the details. There's one scene I probably shot wrong. I was so captivated by the actors' skill that I forgot to focus on the scene's other details beyond their performances. Of course, interpretation is key. What I mean is that in that particular scene, the important thing was what happened, not what was said. If I hadn't been so captivated by the actors' skills, I would have paid more attention to those details, which, while present, could have been executed better with more nuanced shots and pacing.

Can you discuss some of your influences as a filmmaker? How have they shaped this film?

I'd like to audaciously say: Guy Ritchie meets Scorsese for dinner, and Hitchcock is waiting for them. Hitchcock is The Master in every respect. No one can compare to him. Maybe Shyamalan has some chances. If I have any doubts, I ask Hitchcock. I also admire the rhythm of Guy Ritchie. He's one of those directors I appreciate more for his directorial skills than for the stories he tells. Scorsese is like a restaurant where you know the menu perfectly, but every time you visit, he surprises you with something different. His storytelling skills are truly remarkable.

Are there any specific scenes in the film that you find particularly powerful? Why? We think we know which one you’re going to mention!

There are many scenes that I deeply love, largely because they were quite challenging to shoot. This makes me incredibly proud of the results, thanks to the cast and crew that I was able to assemble for this project. The scene I believe is the best is in the last part of the movie. Here, I tried to evoke a Hitchcock-style scene, experimenting with the temporal stretching possibilities that the editing process permits.

Lastly, what is next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us?

I'm preparing for my first feature film. I'm currently seeking a producer, but I'm also ready to shoot the movie in a low-budget style, reminiscent of the Cassavetes-Indy style. This method has been adopted by filmmakers like Linklater, Baumbach, the Safdie Brothers, and generally by those within the mumblecore movement.