Festivals/Awards

• 82nd Venice International Film Festival Out of Competition – Film & Music (IT) – World premiere
• Festival dei Popoli (IT)

Press

“The damage caused by tinnitus becomes an opportunity for rebirth. Both physically and mentally” — Arianna Finos, Repubblica

A raw, poetic journey into the soul of Piero Pelù, an Italian rock icon, after the accident that impaired his hearing, giving him loud, continuous tinnitus that risked reducing his hearing during his concerts and in his everyday life.

In October 2022, during a recording session, a sudden acoustic shock – due to a technical error that occurred when changing headphones – caused Piero to pass out and resulted in permanent damage to his acoustic nerve. Piero has been struggling psychologically with this ever since. The accident led to the cancellation of a tour that had already been scheduled, as well as the risk of having to suspend all artistic activities related to Pelù’s live music.

So for Piero the “noise inside” became an opportunity to be forced to stop and find himself, to rebuild, regenerate and write a new album dedicated to the ‘Deserts’ inside, through a full immersion into his inner world: family, freedom, friends (including Litfiba), travelling and naturally music are the elements with which one of the most important figures on the Italian rock scene rebuilds and finds his way. The film is also enhanced by an astonishing selection of material taken from the boundless film and video archive put together by Piero from the start of his musical journey to the present day.

Marked by Piero’s spiritual journey on the annual gypsy pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Camargue, in honour of Saint Sarah the Black, patron saint of travellers – whose name is tattooed on both the artist’s forearms  – NOISE INSIDE. DON’T CALL ME A ROCK STAR becomes a road movie as well as a cause for reflection on over forty years of life “Off the road”, as an intellectually free, libertarian, courageous figure on the Italian artistic, musical scene.
Living with severe depression ever since the accident, Pelù has found the way to rebirth in his lifelong muse – music.

«I am coming out of this tooth and nail – says Piero Pelù – I have poured my soul out, written new, powerful songs and rediscovered forgotten ideas in my endless archive ».

NOISE INSIDE. DON’T CALL ME A ROCK STAR is not just a road to self-discovery, but a surprising, boundless journey by an artist who is free and who, throughout his long career, has never made choices as a result of opportunism.
Piero the rock singer-songwriter, performer, artist, father, grandfather and traveller is able to bring all these roles together disarmingly and with harmony.

Piero Pelù is an Italian rock icon and the magnetic frontman who made music history with the band Litfiba and as a solo artist.