Intervista isn’t just a film, nor is it just a film-within-a-film. It’s actually four films in one– the mockumentary itself, the interview that the TV crew is filming, the adaptation Federico Fellini is making of Kafka’s Amerika, and the autobiography he was making while filming the interview himself. As such, first time viewers of Fellini might understandably be confused watching this. But for people who have been following his work, the unusually meta direction Fellini takes for his penultimate film feels like a natural extension of his distinct style, his intriguing mix of memory, dream, and fantasy made much more self-reflexive through breaking genre. It’s able to capture Fellini’s process in such a novel way, as well as lend his thoughts over the passing nature of the medium, the studio, and the industry itself. As such, like any good interview, Intervista is a thoughtful deep dive from the master auteur and a must-watch for the filmmaker’s fans.
Federico Fellini welcomes us into his world of film making with a mockumentary about his life in film, as a Japanese film crew follows him around.
While on set filming his next film, a Japanese television crew surprises Federico Fellini for an interview about his career. Fellini acquiesces, though he does so while on set of the adaptation of Franz Kafka's Amerika.
Can a film mock the documentary too close to the sun? With its incredibly broad portrait of filmmaking, Intervista comes pretty close to falling, but it will work for Fellini’s fans.
It’s not Fellini’s best film, but considering how stacked his entire filmography is, it makes sense that the film is still pretty good.
