“This is a punk documentary—we made it freestyle,” says Cristian Bugiada and Roberto Artusio, the brains behind Los Dos Italianos Perdidos en México. This ambitious project stems from their deep passion for Mexican spirits.
What started as a YouTube docuseries to celebrate a decade of travels and research has evolved into something much bigger—a feature-length film destined for cinemas, with aspirations to hit the festival circuit.
From Agave Enthusiasts to Bar Visionaries
Rewind to ten years ago, when Bugiada and Artusio shared a common obsession with Mexican spirits. Back then, it wasn’t just about tequila and mezcal for them—raicilla, sotol, bacanora, rum, and even corn whiskey also became part of their deep dive into the vibrant world of Mexican spirits. The duo took matters into their own hands, embarking on self-funded trips across Mexico to explore, learn, and taste everything the agave world had to offer.
Their passion culminated in La Punta Expendio de Agave, a cocktail bar in Rome dedicated to showcasing Mexican spirits and culture. “We fell in love with not just the spirits, but the land, culture, food, spirituality, and art,” they explain. La Punta became a bridge between Mexico and Italy—a place to host local producers, share discoveries, and educate the community about the incredible diversity of Mexican distillates.
The Birth of Los Dos Italianos Perdidos en México
Eventually, “People kept asking us to share stories from our trips.” And so, a new challenge was born: creating a video documentary.
Turning the idea into reality meant adding a crucial piece to the puzzle. Through a series of coincidences, Cristian Bugiada and Roberto Artusio crossed paths with Filippo Gasperini and Mike Pagliarulo—two professionals with the technical skills needed to make a film. Filippo is a filmmaker, while Mike stepped in as co-producer alongside Bugiada and Artusio. On top of that, both Gasperini and Pagliarulo share a love for adventurous travel—the kind where you plan just enough and let the moment guide you. Naturally, the collaboration fell into place with ease. That’s how a new tour of Mexico began, this time with the goal of creating an “independent project, zero sponsors, entirely self-funded. We wanted to keep it freestyle, without any rigid planning.”
They had a few stops in mind, mainly to reconnect with their “producer friends.” But there was plenty of room for spontaneous exploration too. For example, “in the state of Michoacán, we tracked down a 200-year-old distillery perched on top of a mountain. It took almost four hours of off-road driving to get there—all so Filippo could fully experience what we had lived through over the years and truly capture the message we wanted to convey: the spirit of discovery, even in uncharted territories.”
From YouTube to Cinemas: The Evolution of Los Dos Italianos Perdidos en México
Covering 12,000 kilometers of Mexican roads, the trip yielded a treasure trove of footage. The initial product—a docuseries—takes viewers beyond mezcal production, painting a vivid picture of the culture and passion surrounding these spirits.
Enter Ivan Frenguelli, manager of PostModernissimo cinema in Perugia, who reached out with a game-changing idea: “Let’s screen the episodes alongside an in-theater tasting experience to fully transport the audience to Mexico.” On December 5, PostModernissimo will host this unique event, featuring three re-edited YouTube episodes and two never-before-seen ones.
Bugiada and Artusio are thrilled. “Other cinemas in Rome, Milan, and Genoa have already expressed interest,” they reveal. For these two agave adventurers, bringing their story to the big screen is uncharted territory, but one they’re diving into with pride. “We might be the first bar to pull off something like this—self-financed and on the big screen.” The journey of Los Dos Italianos Perdidos en México mirrors their love for exploration, blending the uncharted with a deep-rooted passion for sharing Mexico’s spirit—literally and figuratively.
Images courtesy of La Punta Expendio de Agave, credits to Eros Pacini – Agenzia Unfollow Adv
