Shigeru Umebayashi's scores Mare Nero" (The Dark Sea) and "Mi Fanno Male I Capelli" (In the Mirror)

Shigeru Umebayashi I is an internationally renowned film composer, best known for creating 
'Yumeji's Theme' in Wong Kar-Wai's film In The Mood for Love as well as collaborating with Wong 
Kar-Wai on 2046. He was the music producer and composer for Zhang Yimou's films House of 
Flying Daggers and Curse of The Golden Flower and composed the end-title song 'Lovers' for the 
soprano Kathleen Battle

Roberta Torre is an Italian film director and screenwriter who won the prestigious Nastro 
d'argento award for best new director with her first film, Tano da morire ("To Die for Tano") in 
1997 and has been nominated and won many awards since for her body of work. She first 
worked with Umebayashi on the 2006 film "Mare Nero" and again on "Mi Fanno Male I Capelli"
from 2023.

The director had been looking for an opportunity to work with Umebayashi.
“It was the first time we worked together. I searched for him for a long time and was certain that 
he would be perfect for the film. I was fascinated and deeply moved by his music, and in fact 
the soundtrack is extraordinary. 

The first time we met was at the Tokyo Film Festival I had a film in competition (Angela) it was 
2002 and I had been looking for him for a long time but we had not been able to meet in Europe. 
I was very happy because I finally had a chance to tell him what his music represented to me.”
The mood of Mare Nero proved inspirational for the composer –
“Roberta gave me free reign to create the music for ‘Mare Nero’. I used a Japanese bamboo flute 
for the main theme and some electronic elements to create suspense. It is one of my favourite 
scores.”

Their next collaboration proved even more fruitful. The title - "Mi Fanno Male I Capelli" - refers to 
the well-known line delivered by Monica Vitti in Michelangelo Antonioni’s Red Desert and the 
film is loosely based on the great actress who passed away in early February, though it’s not at 
all a biopic. It’s the story of a woman called Monica (Alba Rohrwacher) who loses her memory 
and finds new meaning in her life by identifying with the various film characters played by 
Monica Vitti. Edoardo (Filippo Timi), who loves her deeply, hopes that this game will save her, 
and he allows it to become part of their new day to day life