A strong contender for the title of most sensual romantic film of the year, Call Me by Your Name is a story of first love set in 1980s Italy. The unconventional film also includes unconventional shooting stories, curiosities and behind-the-scenes secrets.
1.The production
It started on 11 May 2016 in Crema, Italy, and ended on 20 June 2016.
2. Cast Change
In September 2015, James Ivory told The New York Times Style Magazine that he was planning to direct an adaptation of André Aciman’s novel Call Me By Your Name, and that Shia LaBeouf will play the role of Oliver.
La Beouf’s screen tests were great, but after it was revealed that Luca Guadagnino would be directing the film instead of James Ivory, the production decided not to make the film with him after all, due to the actor’s troubles and famously troubled nature.
3. First meeting
Armie Hammer first met Timothée Chalamet while Chalamet was in a piano lesson. Chalamet then took Hammer on a bike tour around Crema, echoing the scene where Elio shows Oliver around.
In various interviews both Timothée Chalamet (Elio) and Armie Hammer (Oliver) told the press that the atmosphere shown in the movie is the exact same feeling they had about being in Crema, Italy. While in Italy most people like to work for 8 hours and then get the night off – Timothée and Armie spent their free time together having Espressos, going to dinner at restaurants, hanging out at their hotel rooms, watching movies and listening to music together. They became very close during these few weeks in Crema and are still very close friends to this day.
Meeting the two actors beforehand was essential for them to have a good time. “It was a real closeness that our souls felt for each other in those early weeks,” recalls Chalamet. “The friendship developed very easily, very naturally, very organically. It was really the random luck of the universe.
4. One rehearsal only
There was only one rehearsal before shooting. In multiple interviews, Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer said that director Luca Guadagnino asked them one day to come outside to do a rehearsal in the backyard of the villa. They walked to a patch of grass and flipped their scripts to a randomly selected scene to practice. When they opened the script, the page only read, “Elio and Oliver roll around in the grass making out.” Chalamet and Hammer looked at each other and said, “Alright, let’s go!” Just seconds into the making out scene, however, Guadagnino stepped in and directed them to act more “passionately.” So they started making out and continued to do so, and no one told them to stop. Hammer said crew members had to pull them apart before the actors stopped, looked around and realized Guadagnino had just walked away, leaving them rolling around in the grass. This was their only rehearsal.
5. Beard problems
The beautiful love scenes were not without friction. Literally, the kissing scene had to be re-shot several times because Armie Hammer’s stubble really stung Timothée’s face.
Sources:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/531187/10-fascinating-facts-about-call-me-your-name
