Film Name: Behave
Director: Francesco Gabriele
Writers: Dan Sproson, Georgia Viero (original idea)
Starring: Christian Vit, Georgia Viero, Stacy Thunes, Ema Kosac, Lauren Pepler, David
Bourne, Washim Abdul Gafoor, Eleonora Bindi
After the death of their friend, a group of eccentric young adults are whisked away to a villa
on the outskirts of London, but a mysterious entity seems to have followed them to their
luxurious getaway.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds for the Romford Horror Film Festival, I got the chance to ask Director Francesco Gabriele a few questions about his film ‘Behave’.
Behave will be playing at the Romford Horror Film Festival on Sunday 3rd March at 2 pm
Q. Your film Behave has been selected to play at the Romford Horror Film Festival.
Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. Yes, I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity! This is going to be my third time at the festival, having previously screened there ‘For Sale’ and ‘Enchanted’. I love the vibe and the atmosphere of the Romford Horror. ‘Behave’ is a mix of horror and mystery with some vibes of Giallo films. I think it offers a good combination of suspense and jump scares, with interesting and strange characters.
Q. What attracted you to the script for Behave which was written by Dan Sproson, from
an original idea of Georgia Viero?
A. When Georgia pitched her idea to me I found it very intriguing as I always wanted to create a slasher with some Italian elements and bits of supernatural. It wasn’t an easy task to include all the elements from her original idea into a low-budget script. Dan Sproson, the screenwriter, did an amazing job in putting all of those elements together creating an engaging story, with tridimensional characters, and he was also able to add some funny and mysterious bits.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. For sure Giallo films from the 70’s, such as ‘Torso’ by Sergio Martino and ‘Deep Red’ by Dario Argento. But also, inevitably, ‘Scream’ by Wes Craven and ‘Urban Legend’ by Jamie Blanks. I love Italian Giallo and 90’s slasher movies!
Q. Did you make any changes to the script during filming?
A. So many. The shooting script is quite different from the final version of the film that you see on the screen. Some scenes got removed and some others were completely re-written on he day because of external out of our control factors. For example, there were some scenes scheduled to be filmed outside. Unfortunately, when we were supposed to film them, it snowed as never before and the entire location was covered by the snow. I’ve been living in London for over 10 years and I have never ever seen so much snow in London like in those days! But obviously, things happen, and a big part of directing indie films is to be able to adapt to external circumstances and challenges. So, on the same day of filming, I had to re-write entire scenes to be able to film them inside.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. I have fond memories of some very nice moments on set when the crew and actors were so very pleased with how the scene turned out, and it is always so gratifying to feel the excitement to work on something that people around you are enjoying doing! Oh and the amazing lunches that our amazing Production Manager, Fallon Parker, cooked for us every day! It was a joyful moment of relaxation, and because there was a beautiful big kitchen in the location, we had the chance to spend some time chatting and laughing all together.
Q. What makes Behave stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Many horror, especially in the slasher genre, have some clichè that we tried to avoid, or in some cases, made fun of. As I mentioned, ‘Scream’ was definitely a main reference for us as I love how it doesn’t take itself too seriously and how it broke many horror stereotypes of the time. Horror evolved and new stereotypes emerged, but we tried to approach ‘Behave’ in the same way, trying to don’t take ourselves too seriously, and always maintaining the doubt around the supernatural elements.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. First of all, I’d like for them to have fun and enjoy the journey. I’d love it if they could laugh, be scared and connect with some of the characters in the film. We also touch on some serious topics and it would be great if some people would notice that. I can’t reveal which topics or I would ruin the surprise. And obviously, if someone in the audience will keep thinking about the film hours or days later, and/or about some of the characters and their backstory, that would be extremely gratifying.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. Yes, several at the moment. All in the horror and dark comedy genre. Among them, I’m currently working on the feature-length version of ‘ Italian Miracle’, which is based on an award-winning short film I directed a couple of years ago. And I’m developing a feature horror film that I should be able to film this Summer.
Q. If someone was looking to direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. To work in pre-production as much as possible. Shot list, location scouting, and conversation with cast and crew to share your vision. Because when you are on set you will only have time to execute things. Also, to be open-minded and always positive. Things change and are unpredictable but the more prepared you are, the more you will be able to adjust and solve the issues. Ultimately, enjoy the journey and be grateful because you are making your own film!
You can find out more about Behave on the Website and follow director Francesco Gabriele on Instagram
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
