Jeff Malberg talks Spettacolo, SXSW and the Salt Lick
March 9, 2017 |
By Dani Dudek
Spettacolo

The SXSW film Spettacolo is about a tiny hill town in Tuscany that has been turning their lives into a play for the last 50 years.

The documentary (yep, there’s a town that really does that) is directed by Jeff Malberg, who first premiered a documentary at SXSW in 2010. That year, his film Marwenco won the Documentary Jury Award.

Now, he’s premiering another story he’s passionate about. “No town in the world has ever come close to doing something like this,” he said. “I love observing process and I figured these folks must have an amazing, one-of-a kind process – and they do!”

Other than sharing his film with the SXSW audience, we asked what he’s most looking forward to in Austin.

Watching films at the Alamo Lamar for both breakfast and lunch.

And that’s not all we asked him about Austin and Texas. Here’s how he answered our Totally Texan questions.

What is your favorite movie and/or TV show shot in Texas?

I’ve got to go with Slacker.

Who is your favorite Texas musician?

I’ve been listening to Guy Clark a lot lately and he’s such a good storyteller. Of course, with his song “Dublin Blues,” it makes me want to check out the Chili Parlor in Austin. But maybe it’s better to just keep imagining it!

What actor would you call “totally Texan?” 

Bill Paxton.

What Texas food are you most looking forward to eating in Austin?

We’ve rented a car specifically to make sure we get out to Salt Lick. We went there the last time (seven years ago) and I still think about that meal!

What advice do you have for Austinites looking to get into the biz? 

Learn to edit or shoot – you can always find a job!

You can see Spettacolo at the following times during the fest:

Saturday, March 11, at 6:45pm at Alamo Ritz.

Monday, March 13, at 2:45pm at Alamo Lamar.

Friday, March 17, at 11:15am at Stateside.

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Learn about some of the films premiering at SXSW 2017:

The Light of the Moon here.

Assholes here.

Signature Move here.

A Bad Idea Gone Wrong here.