Born in the Bronx, Abel Ferrara started making amateur film on Super8 in his teens before debuting with violent exploitation films such as Driller Killer and Ms.45.
The author describes how he was there a long time ago when he was at the American premiere of Salo, a highly controversial final film from Italian director Piere Paolo Pasolini. The film which reached its 50th anniversary in 2025, is known for its seemingly endless cavalcade of violence and cruelty.
A complex character, the author often features characters caught in self destructive patterns, frequently using religious imagery to contrast with the deeply flawed individuals trying to survive in a bleak world.
Interestingly, he makes frequent references to philosophical and religious concepts, but uses very little, if any, music in his works. There are reoccurring themes of faith and redemption as many of his protagonists are portrayed as inherently decent men who have been caught-up in violence, his films often end with the death of the main character.
SCENE is a profound, beautiful and inspiring account of an artist’s relentless pursuit of creativity, making it a must-read for film fans and anyone interested in the gritty realities of the entertainment industry. It’s a hell of a kaleidoscopic memoir by the director of cult classic films such as Bad Lieutenant, King of New York, and Dangerous Game, offering an unflinching look into his life and career.
Ferrara refined his craft as a director for the TV show Miami Vice and has then go on to direct more than 30 feature films which have often been seen as controversial for its depiction of sex, violence and drugs.
His films garnered praise for their sincerity and depth. Critics have noted that his films explore spirituality and morality more deeply than most film do.
In SCENE, Ferrara opens up about the inspiration for his creativity detailing his dramatic life journey, from a rough upbringing in the 1950s Bronx to reaching the pinnacle of his career whilst at the same time struggling with addiction issues. Ferrara finally got sober in 2012 at a rehabilitation facility near Naples, not far from the village where his grandfather was born.
The book stamps his recounting of his life as a manifesto on what it means to be a true artist, one who refuses to compromise and continues to create boundary- pushing works. If you haven’t heard of his recent films–like Turn in the Wound, a war documentary shot in Ukraine, or Zeros and Ones, a cryptic thriller set in Rome staring Ethan Hawke— thats because many of Ferrara’s endeavours have encountered distribution problems.
This memoir arrives at a moment when he is experiencing a revival of sorts. He plays a vengeful gangster in Marty Supreme, a film directed by Josh Safdie.
SCENE is written in a wry and at-times defiant, at-times melancholic voice of an external seeker and surviver, each chapter plays out like a Ferrara film, balancing the extraordinary and the poignant in his mosaic of memoirs.
Ferrara is a practising Buddhist who’s lived in Rome for the past 12 years with his wife and young daughter and his sobriety. SCENE serves as the latest entry in a body of work that remains dangerously, thrillingly alive.
Publisher : Simon and Schuster (October 2025)
ISBN13 : 9781668097670
