Stockholm Film Festival

When the computer game Nirvana is about to be released, a virus infects the computer. The games main character, Solo, suddenly realises that he is simply a virtual person, doomed into eternity to repeat that same thing in a computer animated make believe world.
He finds this idea petrifying and therefore begs his creator, Jimi, to free him from such a fate by destroying the game. This is easier said than done. An original copy of the game is kept at the company, Okosama Starr. To be able to get in, Jimi is helped by Joystick, and angel used to surfing the net and flying from one database to the other.
Salvatores got the idea for ”Nirvana ”in Benares, India, where he saw some children playing with a computer alongside the river Ganges in front of a picture of the Goddess Shiva.
”Nirvana ”is a virtual game between the audience and the film medium. Once one has adjusted to this dark virtual world, consisting of scruffy neighbourhoods with oriental names like Marrakech, Shanghai Town and Bombay City, one actually sees a love story developing. Although Solo knows that he really does not exist, the thought of his life being erased on the disk, petrifies him. Just like in the Indian philosophy, Nirvana is the total extinguishing. The circle within computer games, web-sites, PC, hard- and software all have to be broken down in order to give these non-existing souls (who, by the way, aren't much happier than their real creators) some peace.
”Nirvana ”is very different from anything that Salvatore has done before. The only one who has followed him is his favourite actor, Diego Abatantuono. ”Nirvana ”is an advanced computer science fiction, where total extinguishment is virtual. One leaves the theatre to face the real world somewhat confused and shaken up.
Peter Loewe

Medverkande

Christopher Lambert, Sergio Rubini, Emmanuelle Seigner

Producent

Vittorio and Rita Cecchi Gori, Maurizio Totti

Manus

Gabriele Salvatores

Foto

Italo Petriccione

Musik

Mauro Pagani, Federico De Robertis

Talat språk

Italian

 

Andra filmer från sektionen Twilight Zone

Se alla festivalfilmer från 1997