Shot between Serramanna and Cagliari, What We Become (original title: Come siamo diventati) is a short film that tells the story of a burnt-out light bulb that disrupts the calm of an apartment building. Through a voice messaging group, tensions quickly escalate among the residents. What starts as friendly exchanges soon turns into direct accusations. While such conflicts were once only witnessed in in-person meetings, today, thanks to messaging apps like WhatsApp, they can erupt at any moment.
The short film was awarded at the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival and has been selected for Visioni Sarde 2025.
Duration: 9 minutes
Year: 2023
Type: Fiction Short Film
Cast:
Claudio Cossu, Anna Rita Pilloni, Laura Parisi, Graziella Anedda, Alejandro Correa, Mauro Cannas, Angelo Piras, Alberto Migliozzi
Story & Screenplay: Christiano Pahler
Music: Mauro Cannas
Cinematography: Mauro Cannas
Producer: Christiano Pahler
Christiano Pahler, born in 1982 in Cagliari to a Sardinian mother and German father, developed a passion for cinema and music at the age of four. He holds a degree in Languages and Communication and a diploma in Film Directing from the Roma Film Academy.
He has directed around ten short films, the medium-length film Macchie (2008), and the feature film Last Christmas (2017), which was awarded at festivals including Cinemed and the 33rd Alexandria International Countries Film Festival in Egypt, and was a finalist for the Mario Verdone Award 2018.
After serving as a jury member at the 34th Alexandria International Countries Film Festival, he returned to directing with the short Come siamo diventati (2023), which won Best Short Film at Filming Italy Sardinia and the Jury Prize at the 28th Nickelodeon Prize in Spoleto. Later in 2023, he directed Surfin’ Helena, finishing second at the 3 Minuti di Celebrità festival in Cagliari.
Since March 2024, he has been preparing a feature docu/fiction, Si comincia dal silenzio, exploring social inclusion, disability, and music therapy, featuring the Modena-based band Ologramma, led by Roberta Frison.
