Biographie
He spent the first ten years of his life between Rome and Etruscan Tarquinia. His father, an expert in Chinese art, produced and directed films in Cinecittà during the 1950s. His parents met in China, where his Scottish mother and two sisters were born. With Mao Tse-tung's rise to power, the family moved to Italy in 1948. Andrea attended two schools in England and served as Choir Leader at The King's School, Canterbury, Kent until his voice changed. He also acted in several plays and was one of two punks at school in 1976. In 1982, he worked as a production runner on Peter Yates' sci-fi film "Krull" and later that year as Sound Assistant on the TV film "The Vatican Story" starring Gregory Peck. Returning briefly to Britain, he enrolled at Exeter University, where he purchased an inexpensive Agfa Super 8 camera and moviola. After creating a series of experimental short films on celluloid, he left university to join the mini-series "Anno Domini," filmed in Tunisia over 15 months. There, he worked as clapper-loader for renowned Italian cinematographer Ennio Guarnieri, leveraging his bilingual skills and passion for cinematography. Ironically, the film's director, Stewart Cooper, cast him alongside Ava Gardner and Fernando Rey as the future Emperor Brittanicus.
In 1984, a short film he directed and shot in the Sahara won the main prize at the I.C.A. short-film festival in London. Upon returning to Italy, he appeared in the lighthearted holiday caper "Giochi d'Estate" and later that year played Joseph Benno in Liliana Cavani's controversial "Berlin Affair." His acting career has included collaborations with Peter Greenaway, the Taviani Brothers, Emanuele Crialese, Alex Infascelli, Gianni Amelio, and others.
Director Ana Gerschenson invited Prodan to compose the music for her award-winning documentary on the 'cartoneros' phenomenon, "Caballos en la Ciudad." He also co-composed the score for Mario Gomez's film "El Jardin Primitivo."
Andrea Prodan currently resides in Buenos Aires and Córdoba, Argentina. He is a father of three children. His distinctive album "Viva Voce," which won the A.C.E. Prize in 1996, has earned praise from Peter Gabriel. He fronts the rock band "Romapagana," performs with the unique vocal trio "Maltratan Hamsters," hosts a radio program, and continues his film acting career. Danish director Jannik Splidsboel filmed an exquisite documentary about his life and family between April and June 2006. Prodan is also working on his much-anticipated documentary, "Dirty Fingernails: The Cinema of Piero Stamij.
