Samuele Rossi’s Glassboy is a story about freedom, risk-taking, fear, growth, courage and adolescent -adult communication. The fairy-tale which takes its cue from reality (as always) is freely inspired by the novel Il bambino di vetro by Fabrizio Silei which won the Premio Andersen in 2012. The film is an international co-production between Solaria Film, Peacock Film and WildArt Film, in collaboration with Rai Cinema, with contributions from Direzione Cinema e Audiovisivo - MiBACT, Eurimages and Creative Europe, supported by Sensi Contemporanei Toscana per il Cinema, Lazio Cinema International, Por/Fesr 2014-2020 Liguria, Regione Calabria-Calabria Film Commission, Dipartimento Federale dell’Interno DFI, RSI – Radiotelevisione Svizzera, and the Austrian Film Institute.
Photography began in Bracciano (Lazio) and continued in the Castle of Gradish e St. Veit (Austria), Albenga (Liguria), Montevettolini (Tuscany), ending in Camigliatello Silano in the Sila area (Calabria). Important scenes which untangle the heart of the story and build up to the film’s finale were shot in the Sila area, chosen for its thick and impenetrable forests and their shifting, magical atmosphere.
The main character, Pino, (Andrea Arru) - a young boy in delicate health - decides to run away from the gilded cage imposed upon him by the adults. Alongside are other kids in their first acting roles. The cast also includes Loretta Goggi as Grandmother Helena, Giorgio Colangeli, Giorgia Wurth, Massimo Di Lorenzo, David Paryla and Pascal Ulli.