FILMMAKER DANIEL TONITTO TRAVELS EUROPE ASKING FOR… JOKES

Written By: admin on May 26, 2010 84 Comments

by Leila Kaas

Filmmaker Daniel Tonitto is quite familiar with bridging divides. This graduate in film from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York recently shot a film called JOY SQUARE, where he traveled to 24 countries in Europe with his 16 mm camera surprising strangers on the streets with only one question: “Could you tell me a joke?” Although in most countries he had to have an interpreter, Daniel says with enthusiasm and passion that the communication between he and the person happened through their mutual smiles. “People became more friendly because of the joke. In human aspects, it was beautiful because this non-verbal communication eliminated all cultural barriers. A smile is universal, we understand that.”

Tonitto has lived in England and the US but primarily grew up between Venezuela and Italy where his family is from. He says that it’s very hard to see himself as completely Venezuelan or Italian. He prefers defining himself as an “eternal tourist”. For him nationality is a reductive concept because every place where we’ve lived makes us who we are. “Identity goes beyond borders and passports…”, he says.

The idea for JOY SQUARE came from a desire to know Europe not on a tour but through its people’s humor. As he was told in France: “Humor is something very serious. Through humor you can find big truths and unveil the people and the moment lived by a country.” The filmmaker didn’t have many resources and decided to shoot 10 minutes in each city with people speaking in their own “beautiful languages”. “This experience was very enriching for me to see Europe closer and be able to show something more than London and Paris, which is usually what Hollywood films tend to show.”

To watch a teaser of JOY SQUARE and other works by Daniel Tonitto, visit:

http://homepage.mac.com/danydo/DT Films/Selected Filmography .html