Shudder, the premium streaming service owned by AMC Networks, has become known for their large catalog of classic horror films, examples being The Children of the Corn, Hellraiser, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist to name a few. Along with the classics, they have also begun releasing original titles each month, their most recent being The Bunker Game.
Directed by Roberto Zazzara, the film follows Laura, whom is an actress in a LARP (Live Action Role Playing) game where participants play the survivors of an atomic war who live underground in a sealed bunker. After several mysterious accidents, the game is interrupted and the players leave the location while the staff remain behind to investigate the disappearance of Greg, the game’s mastermind. They soon find themselves trapped inside and in peril as they begin to die in mysterious ways. The group realizes that someone or something paranormal is playing a twisted game with them which quickly plunges into a terrifying fight for survival. To celebrate the recent release, we spoke with director Roberto Zazzara exclusively. Here he discusses everything from his passion of horror to how The Bunker Game first came about.
How did you first become involved with The Bunker Game?
The Bunker Game story comes from a real experience that I lived a few years ago. For a few years now, I’ve been a larper. That means I play LARPs (Live Action Role Playing): I love to dive into stories, design a character on my own and spend days living another life. I find it the most cinematic experience I could have in my real life. Some years ago, one of the best LARP teams that we have in Italy, called Chaos League, invited me to play a game in a real bunker that is just outside the city of Rome. I didn’t know this before, but it’s a huge underground city made of concrete and tunnels, dug in a rocky mountain. The first time I saw pictures of it, I instantly realized it would be a great place to tell a terrific story. From the moment I entered the bunker, I couldn’t stop thinking about making a movie there. So together with scriptwriter Davide Orsini, we started brainstorming about the premise: What could happen in this place, that could change your life? The Bunker Soratte was built by Mussolini, then it was occupied by Nazis during WWII, then a proper anti atomic sector was added, which was supposed to be a safe place for the Italian President, in case of a nuclear attack happened to Rome. After decades of being abandoned, we got there and it was clear that the place was set in an alternate time, where all the events could live together, simultaneously. This is how it all started. The movie was a high concept one, so we then found our first producer, Manuela Cacciamani, who financed the first development of the script.
Not only did you direct The Bunker Game, but you also were one of the writers. Because of this, had you mapped out most of the scenes in your head before you even started shooting?
When I was inside the bunker playing the LARP, I used to walk by myself in all the tunnels. The bunker is really huge, dark and creepy, but that was the only way to have a mental map of it. So while we were writing, I already had almost everything in my mind, because the locations were real – even if surreal. I also have a strong background as a cinematographer, so my writing skills are always very visual. This helped me a lot to reach one of my biggest goals for this movie: make the bunker the main character.
You and four other people wrote the film. How did you all decide that you would direct?
It all started with my personal experience as a larper in the bunker, as I mentioned before. I shared it with Davide, one of the most brilliant scriptwriters of his generation. Since the project first started, I was sure I wanted to direct it. I knew I found a strong story and a strong production valued location, so this had to be my first fictional feature film as a director. Scriptwriters Chesca Forristal and KT Roberts soon joined the team, when it was decided that the movie was going to be shot in English. They improved the quality of the dialogues very much.
What scene was the most difficult to film? Why?
When the new producers joined in the project, preproduction began pretty quickly. Producers Leo Maidenberg and Jad Ben Ammar were enthusiastic about the movie, and they let me make key scenes bigger. But bigger means also challenging. Probably from a managing point of view, the most difficult scene was the party during the LARP. We shot during the Italian second pandemic wave, in January 2021. I can tell you that managing a hundred extras, inside a real bunker, all dressed up in period costumes, in a scene where a big chandelier falls on their heads, is not easy at all. We shot with three troupes working at the same time, the German rock’n’roll going on, and it was cold. Very cold. So there was a lot going on to say the least.
From a more cinematic point of view, this is a horror movie, but the acting approach is closer to a drama. I wanted the audience to care about each one of the characters, about their struggles, and about their eventual deaths. So it was engaging to find the right balance between the drama that each character takes with her/him, and the need to tell an entertaining story that horror fans could enjoy. We reached some brilliant results, mostly thanks to the main cast, all professional and enthusiastic actors that gave all they could, in an environment that was not exactly welcoming.
The lead actress Gaia Weiss was so passionate. But I have to say that the talent was spreading from every actor: Mark Ryder, Makita Samba, Amina Ben Smail, Tudor Istodor, Felice Jankell. Then, my old friend, Lorenzo Richelmy, who accepted a very peculiar, fascinating role was great too. And finally, Serena de Ferrari who plays the beautiful Clara, really impressed me with her astonishing voice and her physical aspect. One performance that was reminiscent of Tim Burton’s characters.
The Bunker Game is now streaming on Shudder. Why do you think Shudder is the right home for the film?
I’m so proud that The Bunker Game has been selected as a Shudder Original. I’m Italian, in my country Shudder is still not available, but as far as I could know, Shudder is working hard to emerge as one of the best streaming services. I love their catalogue of movies. My movie is an experiment, a movie that looks at the glorious history of Italian horror movies and meanwhile wants to be entertaining for younger audiences. This is exactly what also Shudder does, mixing the best of the past and looking for new auteurs. I can’t imagine a better place than Shudder for The Bunker Game.
That said, The Bunker Game is being releasing in a lot more countries, all over the world, with other distribution companies. For example, the movie has already been released in Poland, Russia, Estonia. It’s been in the Russian box office top ten for 2 weeks. We’re reaching big goals, and I’m proud of the movie we created. We’re reaching goals that contemporary Italian genre movies rarely reach.
The Bunker Game falls into the horror genre. Artistically, what are some of the benefits to making a movie in this genre?
Contrary to what usually happens, my passion for the horror genre started when I was an adult, already working in the audiovisual industry. It all started when I discovered the so-called Italian b-movies by Italian horror masters like Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci and of course Dario Argento.
I’m majored in film at the Italian National Film School, CSC. When you’re a student, you listen to a lot about nouvelle vague, Fellini and all of the great masters. I love all of them. But suddenly I realized that my talent was visual, far from realism. I believe that after all, the horror genre is about the human unconscious, a mysterious place without written rules. This gives me all the freedom I want to express my vision, without filters.
One more interesting thing about horror is that when you watch, you tend to be more focused on it, because of the tension that builds up. In our era, to stay focused, and to keep an audience focused is very difficult. Horror attracts all of us, it’s in our nature, even if we don’t accept it.
What are you most proud with The Bunker Game?
From the very beginning of development, I wanted to make a movie strongly set in my land and in our history, but for an international audience. As an Italian, I want to contribute to the renaissance of Italian genre movies. In my small way, and with the help of highly talented professionals, I believe I have succeeded.
Is there anything else you would like audiences to know about the film?
The movie was entirely shot on location, we basically lived in the bunker for the full time of the production. It was challenging because it was winter. But it was so funny, it was like being on a huge set. I used to ride a bike to move from set to set, riding all around the tunnels. I was a kid with a lot of tools.
My approach to filmmaking is that first you have to live an experience, then you can tell something interesting. I call it, experiential cinema. I hope that audiences can live that experience, as I tried to build it for them.
What are you working on next?
Currently, I’m finishing postproduction on a documentary, Carne et Ossa. A very personal, visual story of an ancient ruin. Documentarism is my relief valve, it’s the place where I can find new nuances inside myself and experiment with the audiovisual language. I’m also continuing my love affair with horror. That’s all I can say at the moment though.
Long term, I’d like to shoot movies in different countries. I have a deep love for California, it’s so beautiful and sunny, I find it one of the most uncanny places. For sure, I’ll go back to India – where I worked as a cinematographer for the last few years- for some new projects. I love the land and the people, there’s so much to explore there.
Thanks to Roberto Zazzara for taking the time for this interview.
