Pierpaolo Moio Tackles Energy Crisis in Short Film
There is little to be optimistic about, much less amused by, in the outcome of the recent climate change talks. But there are countless "eureka!" moments in science that prove inspiration can be found where we least expect it. The next bright idea might come from someone who looks at our modern predicament through a humorous lens rather than through a microscope. One such person is Pierpaolo Moio, filmmaker, electrical engineer, and actor, who agreed to discuss his whimsical short film Cars, a story about two men who rendezvous on the highway in an industrial wasteland and come up with a solution for getting around without fuel.
In the film, you comment "even in a powerless world man proudly bases his way of living on the possession of unnecessary things." A sad fact, but you tell a story that is funny as well. Do you really think humor can make a difference in an energy crisis?
I think humor, but not only humor, is a possible strategy to touch the audience's emotions. Sometimes we need to create a distortion of reality to make others see what they really have in front of them: they start smiling but they end thinking. In "Cars" the humans bring cars with them although these are useless. This means that often objects are not strictly tools but status symbols. The cars in this film represent today all the technology that we simply exhibit but don't make full use of.
Are you planning more films of this kind? Climate change is a related issue. Is there a role for humor in that debate?
I'm writing new subjects with bizarre characters to show the actual human condition. Why not? I think that humor can have a role in any kind of debate.
In this film, you satirize cars and technology in general. Would you go further and make fun of scientists? After all they are almost beyond reproach. People won't criticize them directly, although they play a big part in environmental setbacks.
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