Can you describe a pivotal moment in your series?
A: "There is a moment in your series, it's a very crucial moment where there's a decision. There's a dilemma there. It's a group of people. And one on one of them is, on one hand, a brilliant scientist, who thinks that he's capable of solving the climate crisis of saving the entire planet. And at the same time, he's a predator and a killer."
How did you decide on the setting for your story?
A: "It's the loneliest place on Earth...nearest land is 1600 miles from there, the closest person to you is an astronaut in the space station is only 400 kilometres away. And that place also has a wide range of allergies, which are married with a bacteria that they found in Antarctica could be the solution for climate crisis."
Q: What makes the discovery in your story so significant?
A: "It's unbelievable. It's this is a Nobel Prize moment. This is like, I don't know, finding the vaccine for COVID. And they're all excited, and they're all happy, and they celebrate. And the next morning, one of the scientists doesn't show up. And when they open his door to his room, he's decapitated."
Q: How did you approach character development, especially for Arthur?
A: "We needed to understand who is the real author? And how does he relate to the viewers? How do we create a connection? And in the beginning, it's again, evolution stories in the beginning, the main character was a lover, somebody had a love relationship with Arthur."
Q: How do you view the complexity of characters, especially those with dark sides?
A: "Even murderers have daughters, and even murderers care for their daughters. And when something bad happens to them, they are emotional about it. It's a 360 degree character. And with John, it's 720 degrees."
Q: What's the importance of team dynamics in your projects?
A: "If one of them is not a team player, it will it's like, it's like having a sour apple, you know, it's really, really menacing to the show. And, and that camaraderie, which is created is I think we feel it in the shooting, it's a lot of helping each other, it's a lot of supporting each other."
Q: What are your thoughts on storytelling and its universality?
A: "A story is a story, that if you are able to create a human story, then people relate to it, whether it's, you know, 'Yellow Peppers'/ 'The A Word' or Prisoners of War / Homeland, or The Heads or other things, I think if the story's human, and relatable, people will watch it."
Q: How do you perceive cultural differences in storytelling?
A: "It's Americans, you know, we think that if you're, you're, if you're in a car, and you're following somebody, you should have doughnuts and drink coffee. But that is only true to people with bad diets in America, it's not true to all of us."
Q: What drives your storytelling process?
A: "It's like my duty in this world to bring you to and then moments, and it has to be in the pitch, it has to be in the initial 510 minutes of the show. And then it has to come up. And every twist and every turn that you have in the plot."
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring storytellers and creatives? A: "If you want to be good. You need to prepare to work really hard, and not act according to your wage. But act according to your desire. Because if you want to be really successful, you need to look and search for so long until you find it. It's not easy."
Q: How do you approach casting for such an international project?
A: "When we cast a show, like The Head, we have the good fortune, because we decided it is an international cast and we can really pick the best characters for the role. Our casting director goes out and finds the best actor she thinks fit the character, regardless of their nationality. In the end, we build a map, like a puzzle of characters from different backgrounds. We very much select team players. If someone is incredible but hard to work with, we'd rather not include them. The experience of making The Head is about being together, working closely for months. It's crucial everyone gets along and supports each other, which is reflected in the shooting and enhances the show's quality."
Q: Can you elaborate on the importance of the 'And Then Moment' in storytelling? A: "It's like my duty in this world to bring you to 'and then' moments, and it has to be in the pitch, it has to be in the initial 5-10 minutes of the show. And then it has to come up at every twist and every turn that you have in the plot. I think this is what storytelling is all about. It's about me, very skillfully and carefully, taking you to one spot. And I'm taking you there because I know I want to shut the door in your face. But you go there because you think it's going the other direction. That moment of realization, the 'and then', that's what creates the hook, the intrigue, and keeps the audience engaged. It's about crafting a narrative that leads you one way, only to surprise you with a revelation or a twist that you didn't see coming. That's the magic of storytelling – it's about creating those moments that captivate and surprise the audience, making them eager to see what happens next."
Q: What advice do you have for young storytellers and creatives aspiring to make their mark?
A: "If you want to be good, you need to prepare to work really hard, and not act according to your wage, but act according to your desire. Because if you want to be really successful, you need to look and search for so long until you find it. It's not easy. Storytelling is now much closer to the tips of your fingers than ever before. Every post you write on social media is a story. People who write great stories on these platforms can become stars quicker than in any previous time in history. But the one piece of advice I would love to pass on, especially to young people who might be more advanced in many ways than us, is not to fall into the illusion that it's not hard work or that success can come quickly without effort. You might get lucky, but usually, real success, lasting success, comes from hard work and dedication. Don't be misled by the apparent instant success stories you see on social media. Behind every 'overnight success' is often years of hard work, learning, and perseverance. So, my advice is to be prepared to dedicate yourself to your craft, to work tirelessly towards your goals, and to always act with a passion and a desire that goes beyond any immediate rewards. That's the pathway to creating something truly meaningful and achieving the success you dream of."
Q: What is 'I'm here for' to you?
A: "I'm here for. For me, it's to be curious. I think that's what I'm here for. Like, for me, the biggest joy in life is to find something that I didn't know. And to be amazed by it. This is the thing that excites me the most. It can be a plaque on a hospital in Rome, it can be a post on Twitter that somebody wrote, it can be a story you told me, it can be anything. For me, this is what keeps me alive, the curiosity, the desire to know more and to be amazed by incredible stories. And then I think it's my privilege to be able to transfer that to other people, to give them that, and then to be surprised, because I think life can be very boring if it's just, you know, it's like a flatline. And those moments where you get excited are the moments you remember. I live for those moments. That's what I'm here for."