First
actor and then director of theater and cinema. Musician, visual artist, writer.
From a very young age he studied music (classical and jazz), dance (class.
contemp. buto, tango), acting and mime with various teachers. He graduated in
Rome in Literature with a thesis in History of Theater, meeting masters such as
L. de Berardinis, P. Stein, C. Bene, C. Quartucci, J. Kounellis, P. Brook, J.
Grotowsky, T. Kantor and others. He continues his training in Eastern countries
with a scholarship following the directing courses of the National Theater
Academy in Krakow and collaborating with T. Kantor's Cricoteka.
He also studies art in Warsaw, Vienna,
Prague, Paris.
He obtained a master's degree in Opera
Direction at the National Artistic Pole of High Specialization in the Musical
and Choreutic Theater of the Academy for the Opera of Verona.
He also attends the Fine Art Photo
Academy.
He works as an actor first in cinema
and then in theater for various productions (debuting in 1987 with Il grande
Blek by G. Piccioni and then working with A. Grimaldi, P. Squitieri, C.
Quartucci, P. Avati. B. Corbucci, G. Rosaleva and others).
In 1990 he began his career as a
director and performer, founding Grad
zero in 1994, a nomadic association dedicated to arts contamination and creative
pedagogy. With Grad zero he worked intensively for about 25 years creating
various shows and performances in Italy and in Europe, also being responsible for the artistic direction of festivals and innovative
projects supported by Mibac, by various Regions and Institutions, recognized of
national interest and moving on the border, among the various creative
languages such as: Atelierperunastalla
in Rome, CinemascopRe in Lecce, Dance for camera in Warsaw, the Artistic
Residence and the Dance Theater Festival
of Paliano in Lazio and the
Manifattura, an unstable resting place for art in Salento (created by
recovering an old abandoned masseria-manufactory), Scena no made, Zero split
and others.
Since 1995 he has also been involved in
training, teaching in schools (where he has created a series of creative works
with children), universities, prisons, cultural centers, professional training
courses, centers specialized in the treatment and rehabilitation of people with
psychological dependence problems, dance schools, theaters, reviews etc. in
Italy and abroad.
His seminars-workshops-courses on dance theater, body cinema, scenic writing,
the dramaturgy of space and landscape,
urban exploration, intermediate language and creative atelier have often given rise
to stage performances.
He has also directed for other groups
(Sosta Palmizi, etc.), he has creatively participated in generational movements
such as that of the Panther and that
of the Invisible Theaters and has
been invited to forums and conferences of strong political and artistic
importance, publishing a diary-book on his theatrical work entitled Even the fishes will dance.
Since 2004 he has been focusing on cinema, making films including documentaries around the
world.
After some theatrical videos, he made Il ponte, which takes place in Albania,
based on a story by F. Kafka and presented in various festivals in 2002. In
2005 he directed his first feature-length documentary, Stella Loca, entirely shot in Buenos Aires and presented at the
Roma Film Festival, at the Latin American Film Festival in Trieste, at the Doc
for sale in Amsterdam and at Docucity (University) in Milan.
Between 2006 and 2011 he made a series
of documentaries in Argentina, Chile and Brazil on Italian emigration that gave
birth to the Liquid Identity Archive of which he is artistic director,
dealing with training and social projects in different areas.
He also directed two documentary films:
Leonardo in competition (among
others) at the 26th Torino Film Festival, at Bif & st in Bari 2009 and at
Docucity Milano 2012 (Special mention). Via
Appia in competition at the 28th Turin Film Festival, ViaEmiliadocfest 2011
and candidate for the final phase of the Doc / it Professional Award, a prize
awarded by the professional category to the best creative documentary of the
year. Also out of competition in Panorama Bif & st Bari 2011, in the Fata
Morgana Review of the C.A.M.S. (University) of Cosenza 2011 and, as a special
event, in the XII European Film Festival of Lecce and in the Festival of Travel
Literature in Rome.
In 2014 he made the film The crock sings always but decides to
leave it unedited as a form of protest for the Italian cultural situation. In
2016 the film Focara Kounellis also
unreleased.
He curates a column on the Italian
cultural landscape on the Golem
portal and writes for the art magazine Monolith.
Paolo De Falco is also a musician: he
has composed for various choreographers (R. Mazzotta, A.P. Bacalov, F. Scavetta
etc.) and has played in various musical groups. He was the leader of the Fools (included in a compilation of the
best Italian rock bands in 1993) and of the M.T.U.
(2000).
In 2014 he returned to focus on music,
making Like water in the bucket, his
first album as a soloist, acclaimed by audiences and critics, which sees him
collaborating with some of the most important Italian jazz players.
He directs some video clips for the
disc made in various parts of the world (Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Italy).
Numerous scholars, critics, journalists
in specialized periodicals, magazines and national and international newspapers
have written about his work. His films, shows, performances, concerts and visual works
have participated in many reviews, festivals, theater seasons, exhibitions
among the most important in Italy and Europe. For his artistic work he has received
several awards and mentions.
