cinematography
Marco Tommaselli
editing
Adriano Patruno
music
Seba Pezzani
Marcello Marcellini

sound
Matteo Bendinelli
Filippo Barracco
production design
Cinzia Negherbon

voice
Joe R. Lansdale
with
Tristan Roberts
Kord Laird
Charlie Walker
Lois Reed

productions
Sky Italia
SKY TG 24
Chiarafama
producer
Cinzia Negherbon

vendite internazionali
Nexo Digital (Nexo Studios)
www.nexostudios.it/international
sales@nexodigital.it

Italian distribution
Nexo Digital
www.nexostudios.it
info@nexodigital.it

East Texas is a plain covered with thick pine forests and vast swamps. The Sabine River flows through it, and everything here seems to hide and disappear. Life Beyond the Pine Curtain – America the Invisible attempts to cross that invisible border and insinuate itself into the folds of the United States, where communities sprout, hidden from view. The film takes refuge in the lives of four characters and, to use Joe R. Lansdale’s words and voice, tries to grasp the deeper meaning of a complex reality and craft an original portrait of contemporary America.

2025 Life Behind the Pine Curtain
L’America degli invisibili (doc)
2023 Borromini e Bernini
Challenge to Perfection (doc)
2022 Power of Rome (doc)
2021 Vesuvio (doc)
2019 Frida viva la vida (doc)
2018 Le Ninfee di Monet (doc)
2016 William Kentridge
Triumphs and Laments (doc)
2016 Coeurope (medium-length)
2011 Fan Pio

“Clichés are an endless source of associations for the collective imagination. Yet behind a reassuring and well-defined picture for the public at large, reality often has amazing surprises in store for those lucky enough to immerse themselves in a certain setting, especially when the places they visit are far out of the spotlight and under-represented. In this case, I had the privilege of exploring a small area hidden in the thick pine forests of East Texas, where I was able to track four interwoven stories at a crucial historic juncture: the American presidential elections. And it was all made possible by the exclusive access we were given by Joe R. Lansdale, native to this region and author of many novels set in just this corner of the world. It was an opportunity that materialized, as well, thanks to the sincere and profound engagement of all the people who opened their doors and welcomed us into their lives.” (Giovanni Troilo)

Giovanni Troilo is a director and photographer who works in film, television, and print media. His work has appeared in international publications such as Newsweek, Der Spiegel, la Repubblica, GQ, Wired, and Wallpaper. In 2011, he directed his first feature film Fan Pio, and from 2012 to 2015 he also made a series of documentaries about Italy’s leading photographers for Sky Arte. His project La Ville Noire – The Dark Heart of Europe won a prize at the Sony World Photography Awards. His documentaries include Frida – viva la vida, Le Ninfee di Monet, Vesuvio, Power of Rome, Borromini e Bernini (winner of a Silver Ribbon), and the two-part documentary Mauro Rostagno. L’uomo che voleva cambiare il mondo, co-directed with author Roberto Saviano. Since 2015, Troilo has been the artistic director or PhEST, the international festival of photography and visual arts in Monopoli. He is currently working on his second feature film, set in Belgium.