Checco Zalone is not afraid of political correctness or James Cameron: the story of Buen Camino

Checco Zalone is back and, five years after Tolo Tolo, he reunites with his long-time cinematic partner Gennaro Nunziante (in his fifth film together as director) seemingly fearing nothing. Not even the Christmas head-to-head with James Cameron, when Buen Camino arrives in cinemas on December 25th, clashing with Avatar: Fire and Ash. Among exhibitors and the press, curiosity is high: how will the two “giants” of the Italian box office perform and who will win the Christmas Day earnings?

During the press conference, Zalone ironically addressed the topic of box office expectations and pre-sales, which were described as encouraging by the first available (but still secret) data, emphasizing the importance of a strong result also to support the entire film industry, which is suffering from the crisis of Italian comedy. With his usual self-deprecating humor, he joked about the idea that on December 26th, Cameron might wake up asking “who is this?” in front of the Italian numbers, thus reaffirming his confidence and ambition for his return to cinemas.

After the more openly satirical and political Tolo Tolo, Buen Camino shifts to a more familiar and reassuring tone. This time, it’s not so much Checco’s character who truly resembles the author, but his daughter, a girl who «can’t finish anything» and who embodies a generational restlessness that Zalone also spoke about in relation to his own daughters, recognizing in the film a reflection born from personal experience.

Present at the conference, in addition to Zalone and Nunziante, were the lead actresses Beatriz Arona and Letizia Arnò, along with the producers and representatives of the companies involved:

• Checco Zalone – actor, author, protagonist
• Gennaro Nunziante – director
• Beatriz Arona – actress
• Letizia Arnò – actress

Zalone talks about Buen Camino and the return of his partnership with Nunziante

After Tolo Tolo and a ten-year break, you are collaborating again, as actor and director, as well as co-authors of the screenplay. How was it to reunite?

Checco Zalone – In reality, we never hinted that we had lost touch. In life, it happens to take different paths, then fortunately Bari is tiny and we met again. Today, purely by chance, we live two meters apart: an apartment separates us, which is also much more expensive than our two houses. Starting to work together again was absolutely natural for us.

Five years have passed since your last film: how do you experience this long distance from the audience in cinemas?

Checco Zalone – The truth is, I’m very indolent. I find the whole public part related to the film’s launch a burden: talking, explaining, saying even trivial things. That’s also why I make a film every five years. I hope all you journalists die in the next five years before the next one (laughs).

The film tells the story of the relationship between a father and daughter. How important was it to focus on this theme today?

Checco Zalone – It might seem ingratiating, the father-daughter theme, but it isn’t because in the film the daughter is a girl searching for authentic values. She’s not a little girl like mine, who are always on their phones. I am a father of two daughters, one thirteen and one ten, and with the older one, that conflicting relationship begins where it often feels like we’re speaking different languages. In the film, however, the daughter rejects everything: she has closed her social media, she is very rich but knows there is something more to life. That’s where we started.

Gennaro Nunziante – We wanted to investigate precisely this. Today we live in a society without fathers, also because we no longer know who a man is, and therefore we don’t even know why we are fathers. The film answers a simple question: this man sets off on the Camino already a father, but without knowing its implications, and returns knowing he is one.

Some jokes touch on very delicate political themes: Gaza, concentration camps. Why did you decide to include them and expose yourselves to criticism?

Gennaro Nunziante – To evaluate the weight of a joke and its true meaning, you have to get to the end of the film. The difference, in Italian comedy, is all there. Those jokes you mention belong to a rich, unaware man who ignores the suffering of the world. They are allowed by his status. But then there is a regeneration, things change, he changes. Our films always tell this: we start from man in his misery and accompany him towards growth. Previously it was also material misery, here it is only spiritual.

Comedy today seems more fragile at the box office, even after the pandemic. What reflections have you made on this?

Checco Zalone – We expect to earn money, it’s useless to be hypocritical, but because the earnings of a film benefit the entire sector. What really scares me is the younger audience: they are used to immediate comedy, to content that lasts forty seconds. Keeping them still for an hour and a half in the cinema is a challenge. This is a traditional film, we’ll see what happens.

Has political correctness changed comedy?

Checco Zalone – In my opinion, instead of complaining about political correctness, one should be intelligently incorrect. I don’t perceive this problem. A film must have a dramaturgy, it must be a story.

How was the experience on set for you?

Beatriz Arona – For me it was the dream of a lifetime: to make an Italian comedy. We really did the Camino de Santiago, constantly moving. We created a family. It was an intense and beautiful experience. At first I joked about it, I said: if I’m not good enough, you can always call Penelope Cruz: you’ll see she’ll say yes.

Letizia Arnò – They always made me feel at ease. On set we became a family and for me it was also very formative, humanly and artistically.

In Buen Camino, the protagonist is a young girl who can’t bring any project to completion. The theme of “giving up” greatly concerns young people today. How did you address it?

Gennaro Nunziante – Giving up is not always weakness. Sometimes it’s clarity. Today many young people don’t find credible values and go into crisis. We too were confused at their age. The film doesn’t judge, it observes.

One adjective to define the film?

Gennaro Nunziante – Familiar.

Looking back at your journey together, where has this path led you?

Checco Zalone – It led us to spend more time together. We live next door. For the future, we don’t know, but maybe we’ll make the next film in Italy. The Camino is beautiful, but the food is terrible.

Gennaro Nunziante – A real family was formed. Everything was born from a great climate of trust, and when you work like that, everything becomes more beautiful.