Crime fiction, literary and ultra-violent

Here I’m, I’m a romantic ...

and individualist and a true westerner

15 years of wandering

a comeback

a kingdom

a contemporary Caligula

betrayal

disappointment

cowardice

love

A man dead or alive

- www.facebook.com/DagoCassandra -

The essence of Dago Cassandra writing comes widely from the passion I have for American writers like Harry Crews, Iceberg Slim, N.Tosches. Its also In- spired by the Belgian fantasy literature such as Jean Ray – Exploitation films – the French « Nouvelle Vague » - Japanese activist cinema of the sixties – the Rock & Roll and due to this little thing that shaped me since childhood : the belgian attitude...

To make it short : the American dream, or rather the American nightmare, view from the side of Euroland.

My encounter with Wild Dee, the main actor, was crucial - not only because we share the same literary and cine- matic universe but furthermore due to our comparable musical experience ; both of us were singers in iconic bands of the 80s in Belgium, respectively for him, “The Wild Ones” and for me, “Marine” (70/81 – 3 singles on Les Disques du Crépuscule) and “La Muerte” (84/94 - 6 albums on Pias).

The main intention of the project is to recapture the spirit and codes of the ultra- violent exploitation films but also those of the literary movies of Godard. You’ll understand, I love the excentric cinema, wild, dreamlike, delirious, low budget, made of sex, violence and debauchery.

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Shot in Super 16 and Super 8 color, night ambiance.

The use of Kodak hypersensitive film roll allows to shoot in minimalist technical conditions.

The crew is reduced to 5 people to ensure maximum mobility. In contrast to the appearance deliberately “trash”, the photography - inspired by William Klein, Jacob Holdt and Tobe Hooper – is particularly smart.

If the film takes place nowadays, it waves between documentary and fiction, switching from past to present.

The role of the music is important, the composition is original and draws inspiration from François de Roubaix, Lalo Shiffrin, John Carpenter, Michel Colombier.

The cast is Wild Dee Borra, Philippe Genion, Jean Biche, Lise Lejeune, Georges Napalm...

Bouli Lanners well known as a director and actor for his movie ”ELDORADO” participates to the project.

A third of the film is already shot and edited.

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INSPIRATION

Roger Corman - Lee Marvin - Woody Woodpecker - Koji Wakamatsu Tina Aumont - Jean-Luc Godard - Vince Taylor - Blast of Silence

Psycho Morriconne - William Burroughs - Lucio Fulci - Philip K Dick - Lalo Shiffrin - Harry Crews - Iceberg Slim – Bruce Lee

Florida Bolkan - MC 5 - Cassavetes Henri : portrait of a serial killer - The Sex Pistols - J.K Huysmans - Lee Van Cleef

Beat Generation - Elio Petri – Docteur Albert Hofmann - Road Runner & Coyote – Charles Bukowski

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PRIX COURT METRAGE - DAGO CASSANDRA ( 2000 )

2000 -”Best Direction” Cammy Award - Toronto Worlwide Short Film Festival – Toronto, Canada

2000 - Nomination for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Los Angeles, USA

1999 - Media 10/10 - Prix de la direction photographique – Namur, Belgique

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OTHER REALISATIONS by Marco Laguna : 1999 à 2009 VITALIC ( Clip ) - MY FRIEND DARIO

RINOCEROSE ( Clip ) - La Guitaristic House Organisation

GHINZU ( clip ) - Do you read me ?

HULK ( clip ) - Intoxicated

MEURTE ( with Richard23 / Front 242 )

THE DEVIL ON LSD

DAGO CASSANDRA - The Movie