I Spent Five Years Making a Documentary About an Italian Taxidermist

In the spring of 2016 I was a primarily self-taught, fledgling documentarian with a couple of shorts under my belt, and a burning desire to learn, grow, and make more documentaries. I was also interning as an assistant editor at The American Museum Of Natural History in New York City.

Most of my time at the museum was spent watching and logging hours of footage of a scientific trip to a South American National Park, some of which would eventually be cut into a short video to be screened at an upcoming exhibit. The rest was to be archived as biological research, the rest being graphic videos of various bird specimens being killed, plucked, sliced, and vialled; for the noble purpose of doing science. This was perhaps my first exposure to the concept of a lifeless body being re-birthed as a vessel for knowledge and meaning.

An aspect of working at the museum which I particularly cherished was the privileged access to an establishment which is usually teeming with people. I would work long past closing hours so that I could treat myself to a meandering walk through the empty exhibit halls. It felt forbidden and exciting, like I was allowed a secret view of the world. The feeling, I have since realized, is akin to making a documentary. For some magical reason, the excuse of telling a story from behind a camera can compel people to lift the invisible curtain that normally separates you. Strangers allow you into their homes and their hearts. It is one of the most intimate and profoundly human experiences I’ve had, and I am completely addicted. It’s a bit like walking those museum halls after closing hours: you recognize everything, but you see it so much more clearly without the chaos.

This is when it dawned on me that Alberto and I were running a parallel race. Like me, he was eager to make something of himself, and the opportunity to be the subject of a documentary brought hope and confidence into his narrative, which I would soon learn was about to get very interesting. But for both of us, the excitement for this rare opportunity we had stumbled upon came hand in hand with crippling imposter syndrome. I met Alberto at the cusp of a turning point in his career, at a time when I too was trying to kick start my own. We quickly became each other’s motivation. The success of one implied the success of the other. We were, and to some extent still are, accountable to one another.

I met Alberto as a craftsman who had opened a taxidermy shop in his hometown only a few years prior. To gain a competitive edge in a field which is not in high demand, he specialized in pet taxidermy, the niche within the niche. Emboldened by his success in reproducing the likeness of beloved pets, he branched out into artistic, also known as “rogue” taxidermy. He has exhibited his artwork around Italy, and collaborated with several mainstream contemporary artists as a consulting taxidermist. His taxidermy has been the subject of various international photographic exhibitions. He has also inspired musicians, a graphic novelist, and of course, this documentary. Since we’ve met, Alberto has become a father and, sadly, has had to bury his own. And behind the scenes I too have been subjected to five years of ups and downs, change, joy, pain. You know, life.

My artistic vision for the film evolved unpredictably alongside me, its flavor subtly impacted by atmospheric conditions and years of fermentation. What I eventually birthed was 30 minute long portrait of a man who has big dreams of defeating death, absurdly enough by using it as his artistic medium. Through his unique lens, we see a portrait of contemporary Italy in the form of grieving pet owners who make a pilgrimage to his studio in search of a “second life” for their beloved animal. In a time of such deep polarization, it turns out there is still something we all have in common, something which transcends socioeconomic status or political belief: the love we have for our animals and the void they leave when they die.

I didn’t try to force a stance on the subject of taxidermy or pet aftercare, but rather shed light on the nuance and beauty which can be found in the most unexpected of places. This documentary is a portrait of Alberto, but also of Italy as I see it. Mind you, Italy is the country that raised me, and yet it isn’t totally “mine.” An American sociologist coined a term to describe those who, like me, are part of a so-called “third culture” born of the union of the culture of the country of origin with another (the parents’ country of origin, other countries in which one grew up, etc). We “Third Culture Kids” live in an undefinable middle ground: foreigners wherever we go, belonging is a constant challenge. While relating to all cultures, we can fully claim none of them. Over the years I learned to embrace this Encanto-style gift of being the perennial observer, by applying this trait which once alienated me to my work behind the camera lens. Making films that depict, and thus validate, how I see the world is my sense of home.

I say all of this because while working on this quirky opus of mine; diligently, patiently, lovingly; I also somewhat frantically chased a carrot on a stick of a goalpost, my concept of “success” morphing alongside my worldview and self-awareness. “How am I ever going to finish this film?” became “Will anybody watch it? Will it get into any festivals?” then “Are these festivals even worth a damn? Do these prizes and accolades carry any value whatsoever?”, “Okay but what about distribution beyond the festival circuit?” “Dammit, who is going to give me money to make my next film?” On and on I went, completely losing sight of what this imperfect, scrappy documentary short would stand to represent in an imaginary retrospective of my life’s work.

Alberto’s story has taught me many things. For example, I am quite certain I’d now be capable of taxidermy-ing an animal if I tried! But mostly, it taught me what a worthwhile, fulfilling endeavor it is to chase one’s dreams, regardless of how weird they may seem.

“Taxiderman” hit the international festival circuit in 2021. Official selections: Bushwick Film Festival, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, Corto Dorico Film Festival, Festival Internazionale Del Cinema Di Salerno. Awards: Best Documentary at Firenze FilmCorti Festival, Best Italian Film at Montecatini International Short Film Festival.

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