https://thecineblog.com/tags/us/italy/ Recent content in US/Italy on The CineBlog Hugo en-US Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:10 -0500 https://thecineblog.com/stories/spring/ Mon, 25 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://thecineblog.com/stories/spring/ <p>There is a tired, accepted rule in independent filmmaking: if you have no money, you shoot in a single room. You trap two actors in a cabin and hope the dialogue holds. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead looked at their micro-budget and rejected the rule entirely. They decided to shoot an international romance and body horror film on location in Italy.</p> <h2 id="the-scrappy-aesthetic">The Scrappy Aesthetic</h2> <p><em>Spring</em> is a masterclass in bypassing traditional studio overhead. When you do not have the budget to build a sweeping, atmospheric set, you must steal it from reality. By utilizing the expansive, ancient architecture of the Italian coast, they generated an aesthetic that completely belied the film&rsquo;s scrappy, low-cost origins. The production value of the Mediterranean Sea is free, provided you are willing to deal with the logistical nightmare of dragging a skeleton crew overseas.</p>