Since 2009 we have been creating unique and itinerant films which belong to a new cinematic genre: NCNC (Nuovo Cinema Neo Cinetico). Each one of these films is the result of four months of work, out of which 4 weeks take place on-site, within the community, in the designated neighbourhood or village. Each film is conceived and created on-site, Permeable and susceptible to everything in the territory it takes place in: Its geography, Its history, Its stories, Its architecture... And its residents

2. Since 2009 we have been creating unique and itinerant films which
belong to a new cinematic genre: NCNC (Nuovo Cinema Neo
Cinetico).
Each one of these films is the result of a carefully structured project
that includes many months of work out of which a large part is
performed on-site, within the community, in a designated
neighbourhood or village.
We have completed 12 of these projects so far – each one resulting
in a one-off, totally distinct NCNC film starting from zero.

3. NCNC Films
Have no video or celluloid camera, no reel and
no screening room or hall
NCNC FILMS are
Conceived, written and created on-site
NCNC FILMS are
Aimed at sharing experiences, emotions and stories.
A means of breaking the barriers every day life presents,
barriers which isolate us more and more

5. An example of an
NCNC FILM PROJECTION
2016
Celleneuve neighbourhood, Montpellier,
France

6. The public takes its seat in an ordinary
movie theatre,
A film critic explains the NCNC Film
fundamentals…
The lights are turned off…

7. The emergency exit doors are opened…
Music invades the hall

8. …The first images of the film come into
sight, posted on the wall just in front of the
exit doors ; printed and glued.

9. Little by little, the audience exits the hall.
A screening on the theatre screen
will never take place.

10. The public follows the continuing sequence of posted photos:
an average of 800-900 photos per film,
extending over approximately a one kilometer path.

11. Allowing themselves to be
transported by the magic of
the film and its storyline.

12. Discovering unseen spaces in their own
neighborhood or village.

13. Entering private and intimate spaces
which are at the heart of the
unfolding story.

14. Each photo is placed in the exact
spot where it was taken,
fiction blends in with reality,
past with present and with
imaginary…this film exists
only here and now.

15. Music and
sound, present
throughout the
route, entice the
audience,
causing
emotions to re-
vibrate as it is
either played
live by local
musicians or is
hidden within
public space.

16. And so, slowly but
surely, following the
images

17. Andsounds

18. A story unravels ; with characters,
conflicts and emotions…

20. The sequence of photos finishes
with an unexpected ending

21. And a spectacular final scene

22. Starting with our first film, our aim has always been to
create fiction which is relevant to the place we were invited
to work in. Make the story we tell, in this little part of the
world, reveal something of its present state, and make its
inhabitants feel as though this story belongs to them.
We have gradually established an intuitive and sustainable
methodology based on curiosity and total subjectivity while
at the same time structured around clear mile stones and
work stages.

23. HowisanNCNCfilmcreated?
4 months of work
4 weeks of non-consecutive on-site presence
in the community
5 stages

24. IMMERSION
First stage

25. The NCNC team arrives.
We live at the heart of the village or neighborhood.
We walk around.
A lot.
We chat with people, we have conversations.
We listen to them, we listen and then we listen some more.
We stick our nose into everything, everywhere, with our only guide being
our curiosity , our intuition, and the force vested in us by the fact that we
are passers-by, unmarked by any bias or pre-existing dynamics.

26. Meeting local residents
The immersion stage involves:

27. Meetings which are mostly
unforeseen and spontaneous

28. anywhere in the neighbourhood…

30. Includes meeting with local organisations:
• Associations
• Schools

31. • Bands and choirs
• Sport sand leisure clubs

32. Collecting testimonies, stories and anecdotes

33. Researching local
documentation and
archives: photos,
documents, videos,
sounds…

34. Exploring all the different spaces and environments
within the neighbourhood / village by foot

35. WRITING
Second stage

36. The script writing stage is the most complex phase of the project. It
has to be as susceptible and open as possible to local social, historical
and geographical characteristics.
The many representation of "fragility“, ranging from the most
concrete to the most symbolic, are maintained as the main work
axis.
We design and layout a route/path: we cling to the different spaces,
their topography, their richness, and in parallel we write the story,
until we come up with the script which later turns into a real
storyboard. All this is done as we continue to meet with people and
organizations.

37. Drawing and defining the actual route (indoors, outdoors, public and
private spaces)
The writing stage includes:

38. Writing a story which is always
FICTION

39. Translating the storyline into a script which
takes place in actual locations in the
neighbourhood

40. Creating the storyboard

41. Inviting
people we
have met
to take part
in the film

42. Work sessions with local musicians

43. SHOOTING
Third stage

44. Planning the shooting timetable and coordinating the different tasks
The shooting stage involves:

45. Creating and preparing the set design in the different locations and
spaces

46. Staging the dramatization of the script on-site

47. in public space

48. In outdoor shooting sessions

49. And indoors

50. The local residents participate as actors

52. as extras

53. Or as spectators

54. In their own private homes

55. or on the street

56. A large collective scene is always included in the script and later shot. This
opens up the participation in the project to all the people we have not met
or been in touch with. Everyone is invited to participate in the collective
scene: both local residents as well as anyone else who wishes to take part.

58. The location, shooting schedule and information relating to the scene is
passed on mostly by word of mouth but is also published in the local
press, municipal newsletter, etc.

59. Hundreds of people might show up and participate

60. The collective scene is one of the most
spectacular moments in the shooting stage

61. And is one of the most
moving ones for
the team and for the residents

62. The collective scene is always one of the most compelling moments of the
entire project ; It ends with a big ‘aperitif’, a time for everyone to
celebrate and share their experience together and an opportunity for
many residents who might have actually lived right next to each other for
years to meet each other for the first time.

63. Fourth stage
ASSEMBLY

64. starts with
Photo (frame) selection and digital processing

65. Out of the 5000-6000 photos shot
800-900 are selected for the actual film

66. The photos will be posted on
the neighbourhood walls, in
different formats and sizes

67. The NCNC team is now complete,
equipped with trolleys and glue!

68. Photos are posted in the exact spot where they
had been taken

69. Different installations are assembled to portray entire scenes

70. The sound track is assembled on-site and includes
rehearsing with the musicians

71. >>> All this preliminary work done before the actual
presentation of the film, is highly visible in the neighbourhood.
An excellent pretext for dialogue and reflection on public space,
housing and the living environment.

72. Fifthstage
SCREENING

73. Preparations and assembly are done
The neighbourhood / village is full of hundreds of photos and
hidden sounds by now.
Finally the film is ready to be revealed to all in it’s actual NCNC
form
It is the moment in which the magic becomes tangible

74. The film is ready
Cinematic magic invades the streets
and the written story is transformed
into a shared story, a shared experience

75. Different
audiences
meet

76. The ones which have participated in the film

77. And those who have
come without a clue
of what awaits them

78. The ‘making of’ is presented
after the film is over

79. The meeting between the different audiences is highlighted by
the film’s ending, where the ‘making of’ photos are presented
as well. These photos, taken during all the different stages,
portray the different encounters and the time the team spent in
the neighbourhood.

80. A testimony to the moments
we shared

81. The film participants can then take the time, with a drink in
hand, to discover that they are part of a bigger adventure,
which is larger than they had imagined. To realize that many
other people had participated in the film, perhaps at another
time but still telling the same story.

82. A shared story.
A shared memory.
A story that now
belongs to them.

83. Since 2009
12 NCNC films
have been made

85. contact@ncnc-film.com
www.melando.org/ncnc-films
facebook: ncnc-film