Moka, a Family Story

UFO 78

PRODUCT
Scripted project

STATUS
In development

GENRE
Crime, science fiction, history

FINANCERS ALREADY INVOLVED
Emilia-Romagna Film Commission, Piemonte Film Tv Development Fund

TIWI has optioned Wu Ming's latest novel, UFO 78.
The plan is to adapt the work into an episodic fictional series - the first ever based on a Wu Ming novel - that blends original and manipulated archives, weaving real events with myth and science fiction.

A Super 8 camera with the footage of a summer camp that ended in tragedy with the disappearance of two Boy Scouts, has been found, after more than fifty years, miraculously preserved. Back in 1978, a writer in crisis, an uncompromising feminist, and a group of ufologists had already attempted to uncover the truth behind the children's disappearance, coming dangerously close to solving the mystery. Was it an accident? An alien abduction? Something tied to the Aldo Moro case? What they lacked was definitive proof—perhaps now preserved in the recovered footage.

The protagonists

Wu Ming

Wu Ming has a long history of bestsellers and an important base of loyal readers. Their novels, are known for exploring contemporary times by mixing real events with myth and science fiction.

Their approach to storytelling somehow resonates with TIWI’s attitude to mix different languages and production techniques, which has been a hallmark of our production since the beginning. Moreover, is even more interesting to explore Wu Ming’s style in the audiovisual realm today than ever before, as sophisticated ways to falsify reality, such as AI-generated content, continue to emerge, placing history and truth under constant threat.

Q - as Luther Blisset (1999)

Asce di guerra - with Vitaliano Ravagli (2000)

54 (2002)

Manituana (2007)

Altai (2009)

L'armata dei sonnambuli (2014)

Proletkult (2018)

UFO 78 (2022)

PRODUCTION NOTES

The development

UFO 78 was first published in Italy in October 2022 and sold over 40,000 copies by December 2023. It has been translated into German, French, Greek, Catalan, and Castilian.

In line with Wu Ming’s approach to storytelling, we plan to develop a fictional project, with extensive use of archives as well as a variety of visual styles.

We have two different audiences in mind: adults who lived through the seventies and can remember many of the events mentioned in the story; young adults who may be attracted to a story that blends history, mystery, teen drama and science fiction. We also want to use the web and social networks to expand the storylines and subplots.

We are now embarking on a development path that will lead us to look for possible production partners in Italy and Europe (Berlin and Gothenburg are relevant locations also for the story).