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Andrea Pallaoro Returns to FICM to Present His Fourth Feature Film, THE ECHO CHAMBER

Brisa Naomi R. L.

As part of the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), acclaimed filmmaker Andrea Pallaoro reunited with the audience in Michoacán to present his latest work, The Echo Chamber—a feature film that held its world premiere a few months ago at the Venice Film Festival. The event also featured an introduction by Daniela Michel, founder and director of the FICM.

Pallaoro expressed his deep gratitude and respect for the festival, recalling his previous visits to the capital of Michoacán—the first of which took place in 2013 with his debut feature, Medeas.

As a special detail for cinephiles, Daniela Michel revealed that the film is based on a screenplay by Bernardo Bertolucci—a connection that resonates with the tribute the festival paid to the legendary director through a screening of The Dreamers.

The film is a romantic drama set within a luxurious, spacious apartment in London, which functions as an "echo chamber" where the memories, past, and emotional wounds of the protagonists converge.

The director also shared insights into the project’s origins, explaining that the film is not based on a previously unreleased screenplay by Bernardo Bertolucci, but rather on a second draft that the Italian filmmaker had sent for translation shortly before his passing.

One of the highlights was the revelation regarding the origin of the character Ava, played by Susan Sarandon. The director confirmed that the role was originally written with rock legend Marianne Faithfull in mind, though she ultimately declined the offer. Nevertheless, her influence remains visible on screen, as aspects of Sarandon’s portrayal were directly inspired by the iconic singer.

Additionally, the discussion touched upon the challenge Susan Sarandon faced in embodying a character with a background in the world of rock and roll. Despite the actress’s initial apprehension about singing on screen—and her attempts to avoid such sequences—the director managed to foster an environment of trust that enabled her to overcome these challenges.

The filmmaker later revealed that the movie was shot on 35mm analog film, with an aesthetic intended to evoke portrait photography. Through this choice, the director sought to prioritize the actors’ faces and bodies as the true physical and emotional landscape of the story, granting the viewer the freedom to project their own emotions rather than imposing a single, definitive interpretation.