Giovanni Sponza is a world-renowned photographer. He didn’t start with a camera in his hand.
Born in a small port city in southern Italy, he, like his siblings, initially followed the path of fishing.
It was around the age of twenty that the desire to hold a camera instead of a fishing net arose.
“I never thought I’d come back here.”
His hometown is located at the heel of the boot-shaped map of Italy. Even from there, one has to drive quite a bit along a remote road to reach Giovanni Sponza’s hometown.
The hometown remains unchanged. The waves crashing against the breakwater and the cries of seagulls evoke the serene and tranquil atmosphere reminiscent of Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio.
“Of all places, they chose this as the filming location.”
Was it the play of fate?
The man who left his hometown returned after decades. The reason he set foot on the sea he thought he’d never return to was because of Desiderio’s chairman, Salvatore Rossellini.
He wanted Giovanni to photograph an Asian actor. At first, Giovanni thought he had heard wrong.
Although racism has decreased globally, Italy is still a place rife with it.
Moreover, it was hard to believe that a high-end luxury brand like Desiderio had hired an Asian actor as their exclusive model.
He even wondered if a natural disaster had struck Milan while he was taking a sabbatical in a European resort.
“Who could it be?”
He couldn’t help but be curious. This person had enchanted Chairman Salvatore Rossellini, known for his discerning eye and ruthless business acumen.
The rustling sound from behind snapped Giovanni out of his thoughts. It was the staff carrying the equipment needed for the photo shoot.
Known as the Sponza squad, the number of staff following him exceeded dozens.
The young fisherman who had left alone had returned to his hometown as a leading photographer with an entourage.
However, no one welcomed his grand return.
His parents had already passed away, and his remaining siblings had moved inland to different parts of Italy to find their own lives.
“Move the luggage. I’ll take a walk along the shore.”
Deep footprints were left on the sandy beach. Soon, the incoming waves erased them. The seagulls circled the sky, perhaps hoping for food from the sudden visitor.
Seeing this, he felt even more like a stranger.
An inexplicable sadness echoed in his chest, much like the profound resonance of Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio.
At that moment, Giovanni Sponza’s steps halted.
Gulp.
Giovanni Sponza’s throat bobbed noticeably. What came into his view was a man.
Seagulls chirped around the man wearing jeans and a pure white shirt as if they were singing.
Giovanni Sponza felt an unknown emotion from the man’s gaze, sitting on the sandy beach, staring endlessly at the sea.
His heart pounded fiercely. He hurriedly rummaged through his bag, feeling the urge to capture that moment with his camera immediately.
However, when he looked again after pulling out his camera, the man had vanished like a mirage.
“Youngguk, you’ll catch a cold!”
October in Italy tends to have temperature fluctuations. While short sleeves might be enough in the afternoon, mornings and evenings are quite chilly.
Moreover, it was by the sea. Lee Bongchun’s hands, offering a coat, seemed very urgent.
“I’m fine, hyung.”
“Fine? You scared me by disappearing suddenly. The CEO specifically reminded me to stick to you like glue wherever you go in Italy. Plus, I heard that even in small port cities like this, there are many gangsters. Sailors usually are very wary of outsiders.”
“In the early morning, everyone’s out fishing, so I didn’t see a single person, let alone sailors. I just played with the seagulls on the beach for a bit.”
Lee Bongchun looked like he wanted to flick Youngguk’s forehead. It was a look that an older brother might give to a disobedient younger sibling.
Youngguk always felt grateful to him. As a manager, Lee Bongchun not only did his duty but also genuinely cared for him like a real brother.
“Mr. Jang, Mr. Lee!”
At that moment, Alfredo’s voice came from beyond the door.
“Giovanni Sponza?”
“He is a world-renowned photographer, not just in Italy. Although he has been on a sabbatical for several years, countless corporations and celebrities still seek him out. It’s only because of Chairman Rossellini’s request that he came here to photograph Mr. Jang. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
“You mean Chairman Rossellini had to ask for such a significant figure?”
“He’s a big shot. At his level, photographers often pursue artistic inspiration rather than commercial shoots. Some even say he is the successor to the legendary Yousuf Karsh, who photographed figures like Nelson Mandela, Churchill, and Castro.”
The scale was immense. In his past life, Youngguk had never even witnessed a high-end brand shoot, let alone participated in one.
Commercials are directly tied to marketability. No matter how famous a supporting actor he had become, no advertiser would want to immortalize a pockmarked face in a fashion shoot.
“He’s currently enjoying a pre-dinner tea time with Vice President Rossellini at the restaurant. Though the shoot is scheduled for two days later, they arrived earlier than expected. The Vice President thought it might be good for Mr. Jang and Mr. Sponza to get acquainted before the shoot. Oh, and just a heads-up.”
Alfredo added quietly, looking around.
“Mr. Sponza is known for his very eccentric personality. As you know, many photographers tend to be quite whimsical. Especially at his level, the shoot becomes more about the photographer than the model. There’s a famous story where a Hollywood actor was late for a shoot, and Sponza canceled the shoot on the spot.”
“Didn’t the actor do anything?”
“Of course, he didn’t stay quiet. He was a well-recognized actor in Hollywood. But as you know, power struggles favor the stronger side. Mr. Sponza’s influence extends beyond Italy to Hollywood. As a result, that actor couldn’t land major roles and fell to the third tier. I know Mr. Jang is not the type to be disrespectful, but just in case.”
It seemed like Sponza was a huge deal. Alfredo’s repeated warnings made sense.
Walking into the restaurant, Youngguk saw Monica. Since they had rented the entire resort, the restaurant was quiet. Monica waved lightly to greet them. The middle-aged man sitting across from her turned his head.
A movie-like silence ensued. It was as if a scene in a film, where the middle-aged man’s fingertips trembled slightly. Eventually, the teacup he was holding plummeted to the floor.
The middle-aged man looked at Youngguk in disbelief and said,
“Fantasia di Mare (Fantasy of the Sea).”
Luca was a newly joined junior photographer in the Sponza squad. Though he was called a photographer, his job was akin to that of a handyman.
The equipment used in the shoots is quite heavy. The high-plate used for precision photography weighs tens of kilos each, and carrying them around is backbreaking work.
Only senior members were allowed to handle the filters used in the shoots. Despite leaving his hometown with the single-minded goal of becoming a photographer, what he developed were not photography skills but biceps and increasingly thick calves.
Why continue doing such laborious work? Why not just quit? There wasn’t much he could say in response.
Everything was ultimately his choice.
There were plenty of people who could replace him immediately. Many aspiring photographers dream of joining the Sponza squad.
Giovanni Sponza, leading the squad, was a world-renowned maestro, not just in Italy but globally. Being taught by him was a badge of honor and a resume in itself for any photographer.
“Luca, doesn’t the capo seem in a particularly good mood today?”
Capo was a nickname for Giovanni Sponza. It suited him well, being the boss leading the squad, and Sponza didn’t dislike the nickname.
However, in the mafia-ridden cities of Italy, even such nicknames couldn’t be used recklessly. Luca nodded at his colleague’s question.
“Yeah, usually he would be on edge until just before a shoot. But today, he seems unusually relaxed. The shoot was even moved up.”
“Exactly! Normally, he starts right on schedule. And even though the schedule was moved up, the wrap time remains the same. That means he’s essentially doing a day’s work for free. Moreover, according to the sotto capo who just met him, he was smoking a cigar in his room!”
“What? Really? Are you sure the sotto capo didn’t mistake it?”
“I’m telling you, he said there was a distinctly strong cigar smell!”
A colleague pretended to sniff the air, mimicking the scent of a cigar. To an outsider, it might sound like tales of the mafia. But that wasn’t the point.
Giovanni Sponza only smoked a cigar in two situations: when he was extremely displeased or when he was in an exceptionally good mood.
“Hope there won’t be another commotion like before.”
Luca shook his head, as if dreading the thought.
It was the infamous incident with the Hollywood actor Britton. Britton, who had a contentious relationship with Sponza, intentionally arrived late, delaying the shoot. Eventually, Sponza canceled the shoot as if he had been waiting for it.
According to senior members who were present, Britton, enraged to the point of breaking the equipment, made it seem like a war zone.
Sponza reportedly watched the scene, silently smoking his cigar.
The seniors said his calm demeanor was even more terrifying, wishing he had at least shown some anger. Naturally, Britton vanished from Hollywood after that incident, likely due to Sponza’s influence.
“We’ll find out at today’s shoot.”
Luca said, looking out at the coastal view from the window.
“Whether Sponza’s cigar was a good or bad omen.”
A yacht sliced through the calm waves. The southern coast of Italy is not as rough as a southern port.
Instead, the warm sunlight seemed to make even the waves rest. Beneath the shimmering emerald surface, fish of vibrant colors swam leisurely.
Monica, standing on the deck, pointed in a direction with her long finger and spoke in English.
“Today’s shoot location is over there.”
“A cave under the cliff?”
It was a deep cave beneath a cliff. The waves, blocked by the broken sunlight, turned bluer within the cave.
It was as if someone had sprinkled radiant blue paint.
“In Italy and Europe, such cliff caves are called Blue Grotto. According to ancient myths, a blue mermaid resides there.”
“A blue mermaid, huh? If a mermaid lives there, the water level must be quite high.”
“Usually, yes. During high tide, it’s too dangerous to enter, but now it’s fine. Even though it looks like that, the water level inside the cave lowers during low tide. Mr. Sponza’s team has already taken an earlier yacht to prepare for the shoot. By the way, have you met Mr. Sponza before?”
I shook my head briefly. Monica probably asked because of Sponza’s reaction at the restaurant. He had dropped his teacup and mumbled something upon seeing me.
Since I had no prior acquaintance with him, there was no way to know why he reacted that way. Monica, who also seemed intimidated by Sponza, probably hadn’t asked him directly.
Monica changed the subject, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Mr. Jang, how do you feel about the shooting plan?”
I had already been briefed on the plan by Alfredo. Since English was a bit challenging, Alfredo had interpreted it for me in Korean.
However, even after seeing the plan, I couldn’t be sure. It was understandable; if it were a movie or drama shoot, I could give advice on directions and compositions, but this was my first time modeling.
Even in my past life, I had never experienced this. I had no choice but to rely on the expertise of the professionals.
“You didn’t like it?”
“No, it’s just that I have no experience in this… I was worried that my input might mess up the direction.”
“Mr. Jang, you think too much about others. In Asia, they call this humility and manners, right? All our previous models had strong opinions. It was natural since they were at the top of their fields. In that sense, Mr. Jang, you need an upgrade. Sometimes it’s okay to be a bad guy.”
Monica smiled. I couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or a subtle way of saying I was indecisive.
Just then, the yacht stopped in front of the cliff cave known as Blue Grotto. The captain said something in Italian. Alfredo immediately translated.
“We have to walk from here. The water level inside the cave has lowered, so the yacht can’t go in. From here, the water only reaches our knees.”
As we approached the cave entrance, the water level indeed seemed quite low. Local porters, hired for the job, were already taking down a pile of equipment from the yacht.
When I stepped off the yacht, the water only came up to my knees. Just a few steps further, there was an abyss, making it all the more fascinating. Then Monica spoke.
“Mr. Jang, can you give me a hand?”
Monica extended her long, white hand as she stepped off the yacht. If she came down like that, she would surely lose her balance and fall. Having grown up by the sea among sailors, I instinctively grabbed her waist and lifted her down.
“Eek!”
Startled by the sudden lift, Monica let out a scream. The designers and Alfredo on the yacht widened their eyes. I gently lowered her, holding her waist, onto the water’s surface. Monica looked bewildered. It seemed like a first-time experience for her.
“Sorry, I thought this would be safer.”
As I awkwardly apologized, Monica gave me a curious look and said,
“Mr. Jang, you’re indeed an enigma.”
