Questions On is the new video interview format created by C41. Three are the ‘simple’ questions asked to our network friends, partners and creative minds. They tackle the current situation: How do they see their future, what kind of changes do they expect and how they are going to react to th unusual situation that we are living these days?

The first episode is with Leone Balduzzi, photographer, director, founder of K48 Production, publisher and partner of C41 Magazine. You can watch it on the C41 YouTube channel and also read it below.

1. Future — How do you feel about your future when everything will be back to normal?

The future is going to be amazing. As a big fan of movies and classic Italian comedy directors, I know well that after a period of great crisis, even if not comparable to the Second World War, the creative environment blooms.The most beautiful things always arise from suffering, deprivation of necessity and discomfort.

Italian comedy proves it. In fact, great artists such as Antonio Pietrangeli, Ettore Scola, Federico Fellini, Mario Monicelli demonstrated it. So what should I say?

Our future is bright; and this has to do with the current incitements and great ferment on the creative level. We are depriving ourselves of what’s habitual which in my opinion is partly made of uselessness. So now that we stopped essentially reflecting on who we are and the meaningful things, our creativity, and mine too is stimulated. I can’t wait to be able to return, narrating about it with the availability of means.

2. Change — What kind of changes will affect society, work environment and world itself?

What goes around comes around. We couldn’t be unaffected from all the evil we have done to our planet. We are now being subjected to this change and this is perhaps the thing that unarms us the most. We have no control. The world has already changed, the society has already changed. The work, keeping repeating it, in my opinion, will have more motivation from the creative point of view, because, as Muhammad said, only while looking at the bottom we can see the peak of the mountain. I think he said something similar.

3. Reactions — What are your reactions to this essential process of adaptation?

I believe and support the theory of many economists: Capitalism is not based on need but on desire. In this period it is clear that the economy is collapsing simply because people buy only what they need, and therefore the answer is implicit in the question. The human being adapt himself to everything. Luckily we have this kind of talent: We adapt. I have been at home for a month, like most Lombards, Italians. At first it seemed unthinkable to me, but today I like my routine. I wake up in the morning, I have breakfast, I poop, regularly, I eat better, I don’t spend money to go to a restaurant and I exercise every day. As you can see from my outfit, I will shortly start my workout. I watch a movie. I watched back all the masterpieces of Neorealism, all the masterpieces of the Italian comedy and I still have many things to watch. Then I have a snack, at six I start thinking about what to cook, I have dinner, and I watch another movie.  Actually I am enjoying my routine. Change is a part of life.

Credits:

Featuring: Leone Balduzzi @leonedirector

Curated by Riccardo Fantoni Montana, Luca A. Caizzi, Barbara Guieu
Words: Riccardo Fantoni Montana, Stefania Zanetti
Editing: Vittoria Elena Simone
Line production: Alice De Santis
Visual: C41.eu
Thanks to: Alessandro De Agostini, Robin Stauder