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An exclusive interview with director MICHELLE DANNER discussing the beautiful and romantic UNDER THE STARS.<\/p>\n
SYNOPSIS:\u00a0 Under the Stars follows a struggling romance novelist trapped in a lifeless relationship and plagued by writer\u2019s block. Hoping to reignite his passion, he travels to Italy for inspiration – only to unexpectedly fall for a spirited local who challenges everything he thought he knew about love and himself.<\/em><\/p>\nDirected by MICHELLE DANNER with script by Victoria Vinuesa, UNDER STARS stars Toni Collette, Andy Garcia, Alex Pettyfer,\u00a0 Eva De Dominici, Rob Estes, and Vincent Riotta.<\/p>\n
Michelle Danner likes to say that UNDER THE STARS\u00a0began with a phone call and a feeling. Producer Pia Patatian rang her up one day with an irresistible proposition: How about shooting a film in Puglia?<\/em>\u00a0 For Michelle, whose late mother was Italian and had spent Michelle\u2019s childhood painting vivid pictures of the region, it felt like fate calling. She\u2019d never set foot in Puglia before, but the moment she heard the name, she was in. The script only sealed the deal.<\/p>\nOnce she signed on, the film quickly began to fill with familiar faces. Michelle has a knack for hand-picking actors she knows will fit a story\u2019s emotional rhythms, and Under the Stars<\/em> was no exception. She reached out to longtime collaborators\u2014Andy Garcia among them\u2014who read their roles and immediately said yes. Alex Pettyfer, Eva De Dominici, Rob Estes, and others followed, many inspired not just by the script, but by the chance to work in sun-drenched southern Italy. Michelle loves casting almost as much as directing; she imagines actors in the roles as she reads, then reaches out\u2014sometimes through agents, sometimes with a simple text or Zoom call\u2014to see if they want to play.<\/p>\nAs Michelle discusses, on set, she creates a space that feels more like a creative retreat than a high-pressure production. Michelle believes films flourish in an atmosphere of calm collaboration, not tension, so she avoids the stereotypical shouting director persona. Instead, she favors quiet focus, encourages improvisation, and loves those spontaneous moments that actors bring when they feel completely safe. She jokes that her ideal set involves \u201ccandles and classical music\u201d\u2014and many days, that\u2019s not far from the truth.<\/p>\n
The heart of Under the Stars<\/em> lies in its setting, and finding the right locations became a group adventure. Michelle\u2019s cinematographer, Pierluigi \u201cGigi\u201d Malavasi, joined forces with her first AD and executive producer Gian Gabriele Foschini to scout the southern Italian countryside. They roamed Puglia in search of the perfect \u201cmasseria\u201d\u2014the region\u2019s traditional farm estates\u2014and eventually landed on one that felt touched by magic. With its courtyards, olive trees, winding paths, generous hosts, and frankly phenomenal food, it became the film\u2019s soul.<\/p>\nVisually, Michelle and Malavasi crafted a style that celebrates Puglia\u2019s natural beauty. The film opens with sweeping drone shots over the Adriatic Sea, the coastline glowing in natural light. Wide landscapes and two-shots anchor the story, making viewers feel like they\u2019re traveling right alongside the characters. Close-ups are used sparingly; instead, intimacy is found in the environment and in the way characters move through it together. Daytime scenes brim with sunlight, sandstone, and greenery, while nighttime sequences wrap the audience in, as Michelle likes to say, \u201ca blanket of love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Music and editing became the film\u2019s emotional guideposts. Composer Andrea Guerra created a warmly textured score\u2014accordion included\u2014that captures Italy\u2019s charm while elevating the romantic and uplifting beats of the story. In the edit suite, Teferi Seifu and later Federico Conforti shaped the film\u2019s breezy pacing, ensuring the montages, scenic stretches, and character moments all flowed with a cheerful, heartfelt rhythm. The end result is a film designed to leave audiences with \u201ca smile on your face, a smile in your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Michelle reflects on the experience now, she recognizes how much the film taught her. Working in Italy\u2014with its saner 10-hour days\u2014reminded her that filmmaking doesn\u2019t need to be grueling to be productive. She learned the value of immersing an audience fully in a world and realized how deeply she wants to carry that sensory storytelling forward. And she confirmed something she always suspected: when the set is calm, the creativity soars.<\/p>\n
With Under the Stars<\/em> now making its way into the world, Michelle has already turned her attention to her next adventure: Starstruck<\/em>, a comedy she gleefully describes as \u201chilarious,\u201d featuring Billy Zane among its ensemble. If its energy is anything like Under the Stars<\/em>, audiences are in for a spirited ride.<\/p>\nTAKE A LISTEN. . .<\/strong><\/h2>\nby debbie elias, exclusive interview 11\/14\/2025<\/p>\n
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UNDER THE STARS is now available On Digital and On Demand.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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