Emilio Insolera

Emilio Insolera
Emilio Insolera in Cannes (2018).
Born	Buenos Aires
Nationality	Italy
Alma mater	Gallaudet University; Sapienza University of Rome
Occupation	Actor director producer
Partner(s)	Carola Insolera
Website	emilioinsolera.com

Emilio Insolera is an actor and producer, known for Sign Gene (2017). ^[1]

Early life

Insolera was born deaf to Italian deaf parents in Buenos Aires, Argentina and was raised in Italy and in the United States. As a Fulbright and Roberto Wirth scholar, he received his bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Film from Gallaudet University, Washington DC, the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world, and his master's degree in Mass Communication with Summa Cum Laude from University of Rome La Sapienza.^[2][3][4] Insolera speaks and read lips fluently even though sign language is his native language. He has an older brother, Humberto^[5], himself deaf too. Upon completing his studies, Insolera settled down in New York City and worked for MTV, Time Out New York and ELLE.

Career

Tim Burton and Emilio Insolera in Tokyo

Insolera wrote, directed and produced the long feature superhero film Sign Gene. The film, shot between Japan, the US and Italy, centres on deaf superheroes who have the ability to create superhuman powers through the use of sign language.^[6][7] The characters are blessed with arcane powers "- like those, when signing the word 'close', of being able to make doors close at will; or where, when signing the word 'weapon', hands actually metamorphose into bona fide weapons, replete with spewing fire and all sorts."^[8] Originally starting out as a short film, it garnered such a groundswell of interest with people offering to become involved, that Insolera, upon realizing it had the legs for a shot at the big time, had to rewrite the script into a feature-length.^[9] The casting came by way of word of mouth: Insolera was especially looking for native signers fluent in Sign language.^[10][11]

The film had its world premiere on September 8, 2017 in Milan, was released in theatres by the UCI Cinemas on September 14, 2017^{[12][13][14][5][15]}, had its US debut on April 13, 2018^[16] and was released in Japan on September 14th, 2018.^[17]

Sign Gene received positive reviews from critics. On Los Angeles Times, Michael Rechtshaffen describes the “fresh, unique filmmaking voice” as a “fast-paced potpourri of stock footage combined with sign-language and stroboscopic action sequences performed by a deaf cast, video effects simulating grainy, scratchy film stock and that aforementioned all-enveloping sound mix, with an end result that proves as wildly inventive as it is empowering”. ^[18] On Avvenire it reads the film “will mostly like to the younger generation accustomed to the rapid and psychedelic language of video games or Japanese cartoons”.^[5] Writing for ASVOFF, Giorgia Cantarini says the story is intricate and “very fascinating. The sounds create an unexpected important part, sometimes overwhelming who is watching. All happens very fast and astonishes you with a vibrant energy”.^[15] On Corriere della Sera, Michela Trigari calls Sign Gene an “experimental film” that uses the science fiction as a medium to capture the imagination and “make visible what is invisible to the eyes”.^[14] The film is making waves, and has inspired one Italian linguist to declare it “the symbol of activism for the visual community.”^[19]

Personal life

Carola Insolera and Emilio Insolera (2018)

He is married to Norwegian model Carola Insolera, whom he met while in Tokyo.^{[20] [21]}

Activism

Insolera collaborated with LISMedia and Mason Perkins Deafness Fund to the realization of Un Picnic Tutto Pazzo. Along with researchers Elena Radutzky and Mauro Mottinelli, Insolera produced the first Italian Sign Language dictionary in DVD format.^{[22][23][24][25][26]}

Filmography

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Emilio Insolera

• Official website
• Emilio Insolera on IMDb
• Emilio Insolera on Instagram
• Emilio Insolera on Twitter