Discover an unknown world. That’s the motivation of two teenage sea monsters who, motivated by unrelenting curiosity, come to know the strange world in which humans live.” Luca”, the new original film from Disney and Pixar, narrates the unforgettable summer experience of Luca and Alberto, two boys from the bottom of the sea who fall in love with the magic of ice cream, pasta and motorcycle trips.
Portorosso, a picturesque fictional town on the Italian Riviera, is the setting for the adventure in which they meet Guilia, a strong and determined human girl who will help them fulfill their mission: buy a Vespa and get lost in the fascinating world that exists outside the depths of the sea. The protagonist, Luca Paguro, is a shy, educated, obedient and introverted child. Raised in a family of farmers, from an early age his parents taught him that nothing good could happen to him on the surface and that for nothing in the world he should leave his habitat, the sea.
One day fate crosses him with Alberto, a rebellious, independent and carefree teenager who has long entered and left the world of humans as if nothing else. Soon, they become great friends. In fact, it is Alberto who shows Luca an interesting ability of his species: as long as his skin is perfectly dry, his scales, fins and tails hide and transform into children with human appearance.
With that trick up their sleeve they escape to Portorosso, where despite the fun and their desire to belong, their dream is constantly threatened by the fear that someone will discover the secret that they are not children like the others.
Directed by Enrico Casarosa, “Luca” carries an aesthetic that could be between the 50s and 60s, although a specific era is not specified. The film is narrated from the naïve and ambitious look of its protagonist who falls in love with the viewers thanks to his infinite capacity for amazement at a world in which everything is yet to be known.
The third member of the group is Giulia, an outgoing and passionate girl who, accompanied by her cat Machiavelli, drives her recent friends to achieve their goals. She is a fundamental element that connects children with the human world and teaches them the particularities of the surface.
Owner of a strong personality, Giulia is also in charge of defending them from Ercole, the bully of the town who suspects something strange in Luca and Alberto and will do everything possible to alibi the wishes of the trio.” Luca” premieres this Friday, June 18, worldwide on streaming platform Disney+. To learn more about its release, Filo.News spoke exclusively with Emma Berman, the actress who gave life to Giulia creating the voice of this interesting character.
Guilia is a very funny, passionate, strong girl. In what ways do you think you look like her? I definitely think I’m very much like Giulia. She’s very determined and hardworking but she’s also very special and crazy, very unwell and full of energy so I look like her in those things. Oh, and we both have a cat. That’s Giulia’s cat, Maquiavelli (she points to the stuffed cat behind her) but I have a real cat named Peppa.What was it like to bring her character to life? It was a lot of fun to voice Guilia. There were also some challenges that I guess had to do with having to record at home since most of the recording sessions were done at home. That, in a way, was the trickiest part. I had to go to Pixar a few times but it was all so empty because of the social distance, that was a little hard for me. The fact of going to Pixar is already amazing in itself but it was pretty sad to see it so empty because it’s usually so alive, and everyone is everywhere and it’s such a magnificent place. Even without people it’s still just as magical. As for the character of the character, Giulia is a strong, very strong girl. Then sometimes she had to scream and for me, my way of screaming is very sharp but she is very strong character that her scream was very different from mine so that that was a big challenge for me, to find how she would show her fear. For you, what is the message of the film? The film has so many possible and incredible messages but my favorite message is that we must open our hearts and minds to meet new people and have new experiences. Having fun, that’s one of Luca’s most important messages. It’s also about tolerance in diversity and showing the world who you really are.What aboutIs it your favorite Disney+Pixar movie? I must say that my favorite Pixar movie is “Inside Out” because it happens in San Francisco which is my hometown, I was born and raised there so it was a lot of fun for me to see the movie unfold there. And my favorite Disney movie is Alladdin, I really liked it, it was always my favorite princess movie especially for Jasmine.What message do you think the other main characters convey and why do you think they become friends with Giulia? The way Luca, Alberto and Giulia connect is that all three are considered “outsiders”. Everyone thinks of Giulia that she’s that weird girl who doesn’t belong and she ends up feeling that way, like she’s different from the rest. And then he meets Luca and Alberto who are literally sea monsters, I mean, they’re really very different. So I think they connect from being those “outsiders” and they can be different, together.Did you ever go to Italy? No, I never went but I would love to go.
