THE DIRECTOR
D’Agrivieri’s future biopic in the making
ACT ONE
EXT. ARGENTINA – DAY
Gaston D’Agrivieri is an Argentine-Italian screenwriter and director based in LA. Born and raised in Mendoza, Argentina, Gaston began studying acting in his teens and eventually made his way from the stage to the big screen. He immigrated to Columbus, Ohio and eventually settled in Los Angeles, California. Early exposure to such vast cultures instilled a curiosity in Gaston that has always inspired and informed his work. He found cinema as a way of understanding American culture and developed an avid passion for seeing life through the lens of film.
ACT TWO
INT. THEATER, LOS ANGELES – NIGHT
Gaston attended The Beverly Hills Playhouse and The Groundlings, both in Los Angeles. He holds a BA in Computer Science and Interactive Media from The Art Institute and studied Cinema Production at Los Angeles City College. He wrote and directed the award-winning short film CROSSOVER, which received multiple honors, including Best First-Time Director.
Most recently, he’s been developing a documentary titled LOVING PICTURES, which explores the preservation of projecting 35mm film prints for future generations. He is currently in development on his first feature film.
ACT THREE
INT. STUDIO SET, BURBANK, CA – DAY
A bright SPOTLIGHT points at a clean-shaven GASTON, as it reveals he’s DIRECTING A SCENE.
Typing…
GASTON STATS
INT. COFFEESHOP, CA – DAY
SIGN: Cancer
HEIGHT: 5’9″
(With the afro, 6’9″ – Fletch, 1985)
LOVES: Coffee, Typography, Vintage Posters, Watching movies in 35mm
INT. SOCIALLY ONLINE – DAY
“To be a filmmaker, to me… it means having the tenacity to show the world the vision that comes from your mind, and the ability to translate it onto the screen using the cards you’re dealt.”
D’Agrivieri’s filmmaking style
Influences and inspiration:
After attending film school, Gaston continued learning by watching films by directors he admired, often accompanied by their audio commentaries. He cites Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Robert Altman, Brian De Palma, Quentin Tarantino, and Paul Thomas Anderson as key influences. Gaston’s two favorite screenplays are “Chinatown” written by Robert Towne, and “Spotlight” written by Josh Singer. He considers these screenplays masterpieces that not only teach the fundamentals of screenwriting but also demonstrate how to build an entire cinematic world using only words. Gaston often describes himself as a student of the Kubrick School of Cinema—meaning that, in his view, there is no greater or better school than being hands-on: learning on set and making your own projects until the line between amateur and professional begins to blur. Gaston often says, “A true artist is gifted a spark of creativity… but it’s up to that individual to light a fire and go after their dreams.”
My Letterboxd top 4 films
The Godfather
1972
Cinema Paradiso
1988
Chinatown
1974
L.A. Confidential
1997
why these top 4 films?
In the spirit of the trendy question that many people ask filmmakers, here’s my answer:
Number 1: THE GODFATHER
This movie means a lot to me. It’s like watching a family album—it’s so personal, grounded, raw, and wrapped up in a mafia world. The character of Michael Corleone, played by the one and only Al Pacino, is a masterpiece of a character arc. The execution of his transformation is so elevated and well done that you completely forget he’s destined to become the true “boss of all bosses.” A true masterpiece—no notes, 10/10 in my heart.
Number 2: CINEMA PARADISO
This movie goes straight to the core of me. The dynamic between Totò and Alfredo reminds me of my nonno and me. It feels like a reflection of my life in a mirror. If you’re a filmmaker, this is a poetically crafted story that uses an old movie cinema as a metaphor for life.
Number 3: CHINATOWN
On the surface, this movie is about a “once upon a time” in Los Angeles, but beneath its layers, it’s so much deeper than that. This is my favorite screenplay. I read the book The Big Goodbye by Sam Wasson and fell even more in love with how personal this screenplay was for Robert Towne, a rare local Angeleno. This movie grabs you and spits you out—just like the city of L.A. can do to you if you’re not careful. Even if you try hard, you may get close to the truth, but you’re never going to fully get it. So… “Forget it, Jake—it’s Chinatown.”
Number 4: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
This movie is based on the novel by James Ellroy, with a screenplay written by Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland. It’s more than just an homage to an L.A. that was once a place for movie stars to mingle with the upper class. It’s a movie about wolves in sheep’s clothing, performing the worst acts in plain sight… and getting away with it. There is redemption, but the arc is so steep that the characters, by the end, have gone through hell and back to try to redeem themselves. At least, that’s what they printed in the newspaper. Like Danny Hudgens says: “Remember, dear readers,” he signs off, “You heard it here first. On the record, off the QT, and very hush-hush.”