There is an invisible thread, made of steel cables, silicone and mechanical genius, which connects some large mechanical nativity scenes in Romagna to the large international theme parks and film sets overseas. At the center of this creative web there is only one name: master Davide Santandrea. Born in Ravenna in 1966, Santandrea is not just a director or a craftsman, he is a modern “demiurge” who has been able to ferry the thousand-year-old tradition of mechanical nativity scenes into the hyperuranium of the cinematic animatronix. A path that led him to dialogue with giants such as Carlo Rambaldi and Sam Raimi, even obtaining the applause of the White House.
The enchantment engineer: from nativity scenes to Eurodisney
It all began in 1974, within the parish walls of Ravenna. But calling them “cribs” is an understatement. Santandrea’s is a talent that manipulates matter and time. Under the guidance of mentors such as Father Giovanni Lambertini (known for having set up the nativity scene in the Basilica of San Francesco since the 1950s), Davide learned the art of automation. And it is from Father Lambertini that he inherits the setting up of the Nativity scene in the Basilica of San Francesco in Ravenna which he will set up from 1982 to 2008.
The turning point, however, came in the 1980s: his mastery crossed national borders. In 1986 he enchanted Paris, setting up the monumental mechanical nativity scene in the Hotel De Ville square, receiving two gold medals from the hands of Jacques Chirac. In 1988 he was called to America in Los Angeles, California to create the largest underground mechanical nativity scene in America (550 meters long), permanent, which can still be visited today.
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In 1993 Santandrea was received at the White House to receive official recognition from President Bill Clinton for his Californian work. Over the years he has set up monumental mechanical nativity scenes in Predappio Alta in the Zolfatara Caves, in Santarcangelo di Romagna in the Tuff Caves, in Cesena in the “Agostinian Caves” and in the anti-aircraft shelter in Viale Mazzoni. In Italy today there are around eighty mechanical nativity scenes, some made by him on a permanent basis and others to whom he sold and produced his mechanical statues. Abroad he has set up mechanical nativity scenes, mostly permanent, in Lourdes (France), London (England), Madrid (Spain), Dornbirn (Austria), Munich (Germany), Tokyo (Japan), Sydney (Australia), Santiago de Chile and Manila in the Philippines. From this unstoppable global activity, the leap to the large amusement parks is short.
Gardaland (1988): he designed the animatrons of the legendary “Valley of the Kings”, giving life to pharaohs and divinities with electronic synchronization systems that were pioneering at the time. Eurodisney: his signature appears behind aliens, yetis and creatures that have populated the dreams (and nightmares) of millions of visitors. American success: for 38 years, his work in San Diego (California) has been such a point of reference that it earned him official recognition from American President Bill Clinton.
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Carlo Rambaldi’s heir and Sam Raimi’s shadow
Santandrea’s destiny intersects with that of the sacred monsters of cinema. In 1982, the meeting in Ferrara with Carlo Rambaldi (the father of Et and King Kong) marked his professional DNA: Santandrea chose “mechanical life” over cold CGI. In 1989, in the USA, he formed a bond with Sam Raimi, author of Evil Dead and Spiderman. From him he absorbed the “shaky cam” technique and the horror-slapstick style, which would become the trademark of his productions. After graduating in directing in 1992 from the prestigious Lumière School in Paris, Davide is ready to transform his vision into film.
Today, Santandrea is considered the king of independent genre cinema in Romagna. With his saga “Join the Evil” (7 feature films between 2020 and 2026), he redefined Italian horror-comedy, obtaining two nominations at the 2025 Vespertilio Awards with “La fine dell’incubo” and “I codici del male”. With the award-winning “Memoirs of a Zombie” and “The Man Who Didn’t Survive the Virus”, he explores the folds of modern society through the lens of the fantastic.
His new revolutionary social and religious film is currently in post-production: “Francesco 2000”, a feature film that imagines Saint Francis of Assisi projected into the chaotic reality of today.
Romagna like Hollywood of mystery
Not only cinema, but also television. With the program “Beyond the Unknown” (broadcast on 7 Gold and in the USA, on the “The Cw” channel), Santandrea led the general public to discover haunted castles and forbidden archaeology, using an immersive directorial approach that transforms the documentary into a sensorial experience.
