Emilio Insolera

Emilio Insolera is an actor and producer, known for Sign Gene: The First Deaf Superheroes (2017).[1] In 2022, Insolera had a role in Simon Kinberg's The 355.[2]

Emilio Insolera
Insolera at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival
Born
Buenos Aires
Alma materGallaudet University; Sapienza University of Rome
Occupation
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Partner(s)Carola Insolera
Children2
Website

Early life

Insolera was born deaf to Italian deaf parents in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was raised in Italy and in the United States. As a Fulbright and Roberto Wirth scholar, he received his bachelor's degree in Sign Language Linguistics and Film from Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C., the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world, and his master's degree in mass communication, summa cum laude, from University of Rome La Sapienza.[3][4][5] Insolera speaks and read lips fluently even though sign language is his native language. He has an older brother, Humberto,[6] himself deaf too. Upon completing his studies, Insolera settled down in New York City and worked for MTV, Time Out New York and ELLE.

Career
Tim Burton and Emilio Insolera in Tokyo

Insolera wrote, directed and produced the long feature superhero film Sign Gene: The First Deaf Superheroes. The film, shot between Japan, the US and Italy, centres on deaf superheroes who have the ability to create superhuman powers through the use of sign language.[7][8] The characters are blessed with arcane powers "- like those, when signing the word 'close', of being able to make doors close at will; or where, when signing with finger guns, hands actually metamorphose into bona fide weapons, replete with spewing fire and all sorts."[9] Originally starting out as a short film, it garnered such a groundswell of interest with people offering to become involved, that Insolera, upon realizing it had the legs for a shot at the big time, had to rewrite the script into a feature-length.[10] The casting came by way of word of mouth: Insolera was especially looking for native signers fluent in Sign language.[11][12]

The film had its world premiere on September 8, 2017, in Milan, was released in theatres by the UCI Cinemas on September 14, 2017,[13][14][15][6][16] had its US debut on April 13, 2018[17] and was released in Japan on September 14, 2018.[18] The film was also presented at the Italian Pavilion, Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic during the 71st Cannes Film Festival.[19]

Sign Gene: The First Deaf Superheroes received positive reviews from critics. On Los Angeles Times, Michael Rechtshaffen describes the “fresh, unique filmmaking voice” as a “fast-paced potpourri of stock footage combined with sign-language and stroboscopic action sequences performed by a deaf cast, video effects simulating grainy, scratchy film stock and that aforementioned all-enveloping sound mix, with an end result that proves as wildly inventive as it is empowering”.[20] On Avvenire it reads the film “will mostly like to the younger generation accustomed to the rapid and psychedelic language of video games or Japanese cartoons”.[6] Writing for ASVOFF, Giorgia Cantarini says the story is intricate and “very fascinating. The sounds create an unexpected important part, sometimes overwhelming who is watching. All happens very fast and astonishes you with a vibrant energy”.[16] On Corriere della Sera, Michela Trigari calls Sign Gene an “experimental film” that uses the science fiction as a medium to capture the imagination and “make visible what is invisible to the eyes”.[15] The film is making waves, and has inspired one Italian linguist to declare it “the symbol of activism for the visual community.”[21]

Insolera appeared on the cover of Tokyo Weekender’s November 2018 issue taken by worldwide known photographer Leslie Kee.[22][23]

During the same month, Insolera was featured on the main poster of Leslie Kee’s 20th anniversary photo exhibition “WE ARE LOVE” in Tokyo.[24][25]

In January, Insolera was featured in thirteen full pages fashion story on Vanity Fair Italia number 5 with Carola Insolera taken by Rosi Di Stefano.[26]

Starting from January 2019, Insolera collaborates with Striscia la notizia, an Italian satirical television program on the Mediaset controlled Canale 5 on the production of various shows.[27][28][29][30] Striscia la notizia was ranked the most viewed television program of the spring season 2019 by Auditel.[31] In September 2019 it was announced that Insolera had joined the Simon Kinberg espionage The 355 alongside Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyongo, Bingbing Fan, Edgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan. The film was released by Universal Pictures in 2022.[32]

Personal life
Carola Insolera and Emilio Insolera (2018)

He is in relationship with Norwegian model Carola Insolera, whom he met while in Tokyo and has two daughters.[33][34]

Activism

Insolera collaborated with LISMedia and Mason Perkins Deafness Fund to the realization of various media resources in sign language. Along with researchers Elena Radutzky and Mauro Mottinelli, Insolera produced the first Italian Sign Language dictionary in video format.[35][36][37][38][39]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2017 Sign Gene: The First Deaf Superheroes Tom Clerc
2022 The 355 Giovanni Lupo

Music video
  • (2014) "Flash" song written by Maria Eva Albistur's Santa Fe – featuring Insolera[40][41]

References
  1. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 'Sign Gene' Emilio Insolera Interview. YouTube.
  2. D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 5, 2021). "The 355: Simon Kinberg Femme Action Ensemble Going Earlier In 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  3. "CINEMA/PERSONAGGI/Ciak, si gira con la lingua dei segni". www.oggi7.info. Archived from the original on 2015-05-29.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2015-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-03. Retrieved 2015-10-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Quando il super eroe è sordo" (in Italian). Avvenire. 10 September 2017.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-10-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. http://timetable.yanbe.net/pdv.cgi?d=20090816&p=41&v=1&c=103162474200908161930
  9. TJ (24 October 2015). "Father of Sign Gene". Tokyo Journal. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  10. "Emilio Insolera". December 2009.
  11. "Father of Sign Gene".
  12. "15:24 - "Sign Gene", un film tutto da guardare".
  13. "UCI Cinemas - Sign Gene". UCI Cinemas (in Italian). Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  14. "UCI Cinemas Sign Gene". Ad (in Italian). Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  15. Trigari, Michela (12 September 2017). "Sign Gene è il nuovo film di supereroi sordi" (in Italian). Corriere della Sera.
  16. "Sign Gene by Emilio Insolera arrives at cinema". ASVOFF. 10 September 2017.
  17. Crust, Kevin (8 April 2018). "L.A. movie openings, April 13". Los Angeles Times.
  18. Kuramoto, Takuya (19 September 2018). "ろう者のスーパーヒーロー映画、監督が手話で作品解説！" (in Japanese). Cinema Today.
  19. "Italian Pavilion, gli appuntamenti del 18 maggio" (in Italian). Cinecittà. 17 May 2018.
  20. Rechtshaffen, Michael (12 April 2018). "Inventive 'Sign Gene' chronicles derring-do of first deaf superheroes". Los Angeles Times.
  21. Broersen, Leonard (1 December 2009). "Emilio Insolera. The film director, visual community member and activist is a man on a mission".
  22. Hernon, Matthew (1 November 2018). "Sign Gene: Emilio Insolera on Creating the World's First Deaf Superhero Film". Tokyo Weekender.
  23. "Weekender Archives :: Tokyo Weekender". www.tokyoweekender.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-13.
  24. "We Are Love" (in Japanese). 3 November 2018.
  25. "Emilio Insolera Leslie Kee". 3 November 2018.
  26. Pernet, Diane (29 January 2019). "Emilio & Carola Insolera will be featured in Vanity Fair Italy on January 30". Asvoff. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  27. "Striscia la notizia 01". Striscia La Notizia (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  28. "Striscia La Notizia 02" (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  29. "Striscia La Notizia 03" (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  30. "Striscia La Notizia 04" (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  31. "The most viewed television program in 2019" (in Italian). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  32. McNari, Dave (16 September 2019). "Deaf actor Emilio Insolera joins the Simon Kinberg Thriller 355". Variety. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  33. Andrea, Puha (12 February 2017). "Carola és Emilio Insolera – a siket pár, akitől mindenki sokat tanulhatna". Vous (in Hungarian). Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  34. Valeria, Vantaggi (20 May 2017). "Carola Insolera". Vanity Fair (in Italian). Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  35. "Dizionario LIS". iTunes.
  36. "Gruppo Silis - 1° Giornata Mondiale dei sordociechi".
  37. http://www.lis-learning.com
  38. "Imparare la Lingua dei Segni Con Un DVD".
  39. A. A. V. V (10 January 2012). Grammatica, lessico e dimensioni di variazione nella Lis. ISBN 9788856873139.
  40. "Santa fe . Flash". 7 November 2013.
  41. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Maria Eva - "Flash". YouTube.
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