GEN_, courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Italian director Gianluca Matarrese centers his latest film on Dr. Bini, who oversees in vitro and gender-affirming care Milan’s Niguarda public hospital. Navigating complications put forth by the country’s conservative government as well as the commodification of healthcare, Dr. Bini never wavers in his mission to help his patients.

First-time producer Dominique Barneaud discusses the difficulties of security Italian funding, his long-standing relationship with Matarrese and the importance of free speech among the film’s subjects.

See all responses to our annual Sundance first-time producer interviews here. 
Filmmaker: How did you connect with this filmmaker and wind up producing the film?
Barneaud: Since 2019, we have built a long-term relationship with Gianluca Matarrese and this story is the most recent one to be transformed into a film, starting Spring 2023.
Filmmaker: How long a process was it to produce the film, and if you could break it into stages, periods of time, what were they? Can you also discuss how the financing came together and how long a process that was?
Barneaud: We started to film in the hospital and along the way, we found some funding. First in France and later on in Italy and Switzerland. The process was parallel, for a period of 15 months, with filming and producing.
Filmmaker: Did you have important or impactful mentors, or support from organizations, that were instrumental in your development as a producer?
Barneaud: The early commitment from France’s public channel France Televisions (through its author’s strand 25 nuances de doc) was instrumental and helped us secure French funding to cover production costs.
Filmmaker: What was the most difficult aspect of producing this film?

Barneaud: The most difficult aspect was to secure Italian funds for an Italian story. The tricky political situation with the far right in power reveals a difficult context for getting support from public bodies in Italy.
Filmmaker: What single element of the film do you take the greatest amount of pride in, or maybe were just most excited by, as a producer?
Barneaud: The very sensible and human touch in the film’s making is very important to us. In a rather violent and dehumanizing moment, we take pride in sharing a positive and inclusive approach on human suffering. It is also quite remarkable that this situation is possible because of public health service.
Filmmaker: What surprised you or was unexpected when it comes to the producing of the film?
Barneaud: The freedom of speech from all protagonists was a real surprise. The pride and confidence in sharing their most intimate experience was a beautiful surprise and it makes the film totally unique.
Filmmaker: What are the challenges facing new producers entering the business right now at this unique historical moment? And what could or should change about the film business to make producing a more sustainable practice?
Barneaud: The challenges facing new producers are connected to the dichotomy between the rise of documentary funding for a very limited number of films to be funded by SVOD platforms, often very formatted and start driven, and the need to tell very very personal and intimate stories for the benefit of a more comprehensive world. 

Filmmaker: Finally, what advice would you pass on to future new producers preparing to embark on their first production? 
Barneaud: As a new producer, you have to create a strong duo with the filmmaker. Sharing a vision, an agenda and (sometimes) a long and time consuming adventure, is a rich and valuable experience to succeed in making a film together. To reach a destination, you have to make sure that you can work together, adapt to each other, and share a steady relationship together. This team is key in the process of filmmaking!