Pantafa: our video interview with the protagonist Kasia Smutniak and the director Emanuele Scaringi

As horror lovers that we are, we always find it interesting, even regardless of the result, the search for originality in inspiration. For his second film as director, Emanuele Scaringi chooses with Pantafa the path of autochthonous horror, which has its roots in rural legends and in the supernatural explanations that popular wisdom gives to widespread phenomena such as that of hypnagogic paralysis, one of the sleep disorders for which those afflicted find it difficult to wake up and breathe and he has the sensation of a weight that hangs over him and that can also give rise to hallucinations. The monster of Pantafa is there pantafica, also known in other regions and countries with different names, a nocturnal creature typical of the folklore of Abruzzo and the Marches, accused of stealing the breath of children and sleepers. The protagonist of the film is Kasia Smutniak in the role of Marta, mother of a little girl, Nina (the very good newcomer Greta Santi) who moves with her to the mountain village of Malanotte where, between her skepticism and the reality of the facts, Pantafa begins to persecute them. We met for a short interview Emanuele Scaringi e Kasia Smutniakwho told us about the intent of the film and the theme that lies within the horror frame, or the fears of a mother, in which the actress is fully reflected.

Pantafa: the plot

Marta (Kasia Smutniak), is a restless woman who, together with her daughter Nina (Greta Santi), moves to the mountain village of Malanotte. Even before arriving in the new home, the little girl began to experience sleep disturbances, known as hypnagogic paralysis, which often lead her to have hallucinations. This is why Marta has decided to move to the mountains, in the hope that little Nina will be able to rest without problems away from the chaos of the city and with the help of clean air. Unfortunately, since the first night spent in the new house, the little girl begins to show signs of worsening of her disorder, so much so that she begins to have more realistic nightmares in which she sees a sinister figure sitting on her chest, weighing down on her until it takes her breath. With the help of one of the few children she meets around and a wise old local woman (Betti Pedrazzi), Nina understands that the Pantafa has targeted her and courageously learns the rituals to defend herself, while Marta, initially skeptical begins to change. Pantafa has been in cinemas since March 30 and this is a preview clip of the film.