Aldo Iuliano is an Italian director known for his award-winning short films, both in Italy and internationally. In 2016, he directed Penalty, which was shortlisted for the Nastri d’Argento, selected for four Oscar-qualifying festivals (Nashville, Odense, Athens, Gijón), and won the 2017 Globo d’Oro. His debut feature film, Space Monkeys, was released in theaters in 2022. In 2023, he directed the short film Dive, which was in official competition at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (Orizzonti section) as well as at two other Oscar-qualifying festivals (Busan, Brussels), and won the Special Award at the 2024 Nastri d’Argento. His newest short DIVE has qualified to be considered for a 2025 Academy Award, he took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about this incredible film.
Aldo Iuliano’s soulful short DIVE is a melancholic exploration of adolescent love in a world beset with violence. The drama follows Roman and Julia, two young adults enjoying the vitality of their youth, when their day out on the beach is suddenly shattered by the looming presence of war.
What inspired you to create DIVE, and how did your own experiences shape the film’s exploration of adolescent love amidst the backdrop of war?
I feared that war could come to my home at any moment, and I felt the urgency to counter that fear with a story of adolescent love, which stands in opposition to the horror that we human beings are capable of. Adolescence evokes all our most positive traits, and it’s important to remember them. Roman and Julia dance provocatively on a minefield, resisting the fear that surrounds them: resilience in the face of pain, opposition to war, the freedom of love, the right to experience a private moment on the beach—deep down, we are all as young as they are in our hearts. I wanted DIVE to be remembered more for the beauty of the gestures they exchange than for the reality that interrupts that moment.
Roman and Julia dance provocatively on a minefield, resisting the fear that surrounds them
The film captures the loss of innocence in a poignant way. How did you approach this theme while maintaining a balance between the beauty of youth and the harsh realities of violence?
Each of us becomes an adult at an unspecified moment in our lives. The dramatic experience that these two adolescents go through unfortunately forces them to grow up quickly. I wanted the audience to empathise with Roman and Julia, reliving their own youth and then feeling its absence. I tried to position the camera to capture adolescent scenes immersed in nature with long takes. Then, suddenly, reality bursts in and disrupts everything. Pristine nature bears witness to the contrast between beauty and horror. Adolescence represents hope, while war is the horror imposed by adults that robs young people of their innocence. When that happens, adults lose hope as well. In a war context, losing hope is dangerous, because then anyone can become accustomed to horror—both adolescents and adults.
The dramatic experience that these two adolescents go through unfortunately forces them to grow up quickly.
Can you talk about the significance of the beach setting? How does this location enhance the emotional journey of Roman and Julia?
For me, the beach is a place of meditation from which to depart and to return: the sand connects you with nature, and the sound of the waves takes you away from the noise of the world. If you bring the person you love, it becomes a magical place to dream of the future, where you share the horizon without the need for words. Mother Nature in DIVE tries to remind us that preserving innocence is essential. The footprints of a white dog, another innocent being, show the teenagers a way to salvation, and they themselves leave footprints on that beach that will guide anyone who doesn’t want to surrender to horror toward the sea.
What challenges did you face in portraying the impact of war on young love, and how did you ensure that the narrative remained relatable and heartfelt?
I decided from the very beginning to paint a non-place, using clear elements of the contemporary. The goal was to elevate the narrative discourse to encompass all the wars in the world while remaining connected to the contemporary events from which I started. My brother, the screenwriter, wrote DIVE after watching a video where a tank was burying landmines in Odessa: the citizens wondered why the government was defending them while simultaneously putting them in danger. Young people are innocent victims who are marked by war and such incidents in different ways, and each reacts differently. In DIVE, Roman and Julia will no longer listen to the music that made them dance as before. This will influence their future, as well as ours. It can happen to our children, to the people we care about; war is not far from anyone. We must act to prevent it from happening, remembering that we have responsibilities toward the young.
My brother, the screenwriter, wrote DIVE after watching a video where a tank was burying landmines in Odessa
The cinematography by Daniele Ciprì plays a crucial role in the film’s atmosphere. Can you describe your collaboration with him and the visual style you aimed to achieve?
I am honored that Daniele has accompanied my visual experimentation for years. The underwater scene was very complicated to prepare, but it gave us great emotions. I wanted to create a place of the soul, not a reproduction of the sea. The actors had to dance like two aquatic animals, and the camera should not invade their space. To build those images, we started with a specific reference: Diefenbach. His paintings tell of life and death through evanescent and dramatic figures immersed in water, in a black that turns to blue, suspending time. I was struck by his paintings at an exhibition in Capri, and I immediately sent the photos to Daniele. We pursued that visual impact aesthetically and then allowed ourselves to be carried away by the beauty of Danyil and Veronika’s movements: they couldn’t see each other underwater but could “feel” each other, and the photography emphasised their emotions. Daniyl’s eyes sparkled like precious stones, and the streaks of light in Veronika’s hair looked like strokes of gold. Daniele and his team did a great job helping me create the tableau of complicity that I envisioned for Roman and Julia.
The underwater scene was very complicated to prepare
DIVE has been recognized at numerous prestigious festivals. How has the reception of the film influenced your perspective on its themes and messages?
The world premiere in Orizzonti section at the 80th Venice Film Festival immediately brought DIVE significant international attention. The short was subsequently selected in South Korea as the opening film at the Busan International Short Film Festival, in Switzerland at the Brussels International Film Festival, and it has collected numerous awards in Italy, including the special award at the Nastri d’Argento. These selections and recognition strengthen my conviction about how necessary it is today to speak of humanity, of innocence to be preserved, and of a future to be built rather than destroyed. I am committed to accompanying the film at every screening: for the audience, it is an opportunity for direct dialogue with the author, and for me, it is a chance to deeply understand how the emotions I wanted to convey are received in the theatre.
What was your approach to directing the performances of Roman and Julia?
Daniyl Kamensky and Veronika Lukyanenko are professional actors but also true friends for over six years. They experience the war far from home, feeling a strong desire to return, yet at the same time dreaming of building a future away from death and destruction. I tried to be as unobtrusive as possible in representing their feelings; I wanted them to tell an ideal portrait of youth with me while also feeling free to express their emotions spontaneously. We spent months discussing their private lives, their dark thoughts related to the ongoing conflict, their dreams as actors, and their love stories. We became friends, and they were very generous in sharing their thoughts with me on any topic.
Can you share any memorable moments from the production that stand out to you? What surprised you during the filming process?
I remember perfectly the day we shot the playback of ‘Mamma Maria’ by Ricchi e Poveri: it’s a very popular song both in Italy and in Eastern Europe, with a carefree beat and many funny words to pronounce for non-native Italian speakers. During the first take, the teenagers were so engaging that at one point the crew behind the control monitor was dancing and singing along with them. A contagious, pure energy. I dream that this song can become an anthem of peace and that the same emotions we felt on set can reach the audience in the theatre.
Looking ahead, what do you hope audiences take away from DIVE, particularly in relation to its themes of love, bravery, and the impact of war on youth?
I hope that DIVE sparks collective reflections on the importance of shared love. War will only end when we return to respecting the sacredness of every living being on the face of the Earth. We are all equal; we are human, and we will have a future of peace only by coming to terms with the mistakes of the past. I dream that DIVE continues its journey around the world and that the story of Roman and Julia reminds everyone what it means to be human in the most positive sense of the term.
I hope that DIVE sparks collective reflections on the importance of shared love
