The second film to Sun Life Financial Philippines’ “Kaakbay” campaign series was launched at 9AM on July 20, 2019 with the camera now focused on kart racer and actor Matteo Guidicelli, and who he sees as his life partner.
In this film, Matteo sits down in front of the camera, talking as if in a vlog as he shares about his Filipino-Italian heritage and upbringing, and how he sees his Nonno (grandfather), as his life partner. This particular 3-minuter is told in a very different tone from the first film released with Enchong Dee, taking a much lighter and fun approach while evoking a sense of warmth stemmed from rich love for his family – something that Matteo finds really important to have, and a value he got from his Nonno.
“Kahit (Although) he didn’t have much, he had family – and family was just the most important thing to him.”
We get glimpses of the journey his Nonno took from Italy to be with his first grandson in Cebu (Matteo) – the food they shared on the dining table, the things they bonded over and the lessons he imparted to his own flesh and blood. The film goes full circle as we see the restaurant Matteo’s family built in honor of the man who taught them the importance of having strong family ties.
“You know that family bond is just everything. You build a fort, you stay together, you help each other, you guide each other.”
Speaking to Direk Nic Reyes of Indie.Go, he shared with us the process behind directing “Nonno” and celebrating the magic of family. He shared how although the main theme surrounding Matteo’s film is his family, they decided to ground the story on the man who really set the tone in terms of how each member in the tribe valued one another – and that was really his grand father.
“It was very important for him to communicate that family was the center of his core – that he didn’t do anything without his family. That he also made sure that they stayed together, and they functioned as a unit. So even though they all had their own individual careers and endeavors, what was the unifying factor was this love of family.. that was the main thrust”, Direk Nic emphasized.
The film is also rich with photos taking viewers through Matteo’s youth and the deep relationship he has with his grand father. Recalling the prepping stage for this short film, Direk also talked about the “treasure trove of memorabilia” the Guidicelli family had collected over the years that really helped give the film more life and authenticity, enabling those watching to see a more up close and personal view of this part of Matteo’s life.
To end, Matteo shared the last words his Nonno spoke to him that really molded his way of life and the direction of the whole film:
“Take care of our people. Take care of the family”.
