Since Italy 2000

It was the end of April 2000, when I was late for dinner and I called my dad apologizing for the delay. As soon as he answered the phone he just said, "They called Lu, they called from San Francisco!" About one month later, I was flying to California, leaving behind relatives, friends, school, security, and beginning a new life.

In a new country, in a new culture, and in a new world I was beginning to understand who I am, what I want, what makes me happy. Only after three years, learning a completely new language and studying acting coached by Shelley Mitchell I decided to dedicate my life to act and to the film industry. My problem was still: I'm alone and it's going to be hard, very hard to create something without any help. Piergiorgio began to trust me even if he could see just my enthusiasm.

To prove to ourselves that we were serious about this, we decided to create a little company. We decided to use the name of my grandpa Amerigo Gubernati (1905 - 1980) who was born in New York City. Amerigo Film was founded. Amerigo's parents were immigrants. They moved from Italy to the USA, the land of freedom, looking for fortune. Almost one hundred years later, I find myself with the same hopes, with the same dreams.

Traveling between San Francisco and Los Angeles, writing a new screenplay, working in post production of 'Encounter' inside one of the major studios in Hollywood, help me to believe if you really want something, fight. And if you're also lucky you might have a chance of getting it.

Movies help us to escape from reality, from the routine, from the world we sometimes hate. Making movies helps me to escape from my reality and hopefully one day, I will help you to dream, to smile, to enjoy life-one of the best gifts we have.

One more thing I want to say to the reader and especially to Matthew Hals who always believed in me: "We will go far, Matt ... you'll see !!!"

Lu Costa