BIMIFF #4 - ENG

B I M I F F I N T E R V I E W 38
Speaking of the performances, her performance as the matriarch of the
Marchetti family is sensational! But we know how challenging this task can
be, even more so when you add to the acting the tasks of writing the script
and directing this beautiful work. How did this division of tasks occur,
executed in such a harmonious way?
Thank you very much for the compliment. It was not easy it was very
difficult. But as I said before, I love challenges. I have a passion for
acting. I started my acting career very young in Brazil on the stage of
the Tablado theater. The acting career was my priority, but I have
always been fascinated by the seventh art and that is why I went to
college to study cinema at UFF. I had always written scripts, but they
stayed in a drawer. When I transferred to Italy I had given up on being
an actress. I wanted to change my life. I wanted to study cinema in
depth, to direct cinema. But the actress' blood pulses in my veins, it is
stronger than reason, and every time I could make a short film I acted.
I always think that it will be the last time, I always say that next time I
just want to direct, to be behind the camera. But in the end, I can't
resist and I always create a character for myself (hahaha) Of course,
having an assistant director helps a lot. In the scenes in which I
should act I gave the directions to the actors beforehand. With
Ludovica, for example, we rehearsed and did several labs a month
before the shooting started. Because at the moment when I should be
in front of the camera, the actress speaks louder. The problem is that
seeing the result I think I could have done better as an actress. And
here comes the thought of dedicating myself only to directing. The
fact that I am an actress helps me because during the writing process I
play all the characters. What makes it difficult is exactly acting and
directing. But I am trying to reduce my participation as an actress. In
the last script I am writing I only do one scene, a special participation
(hahaha).
The director Clelia Di Briggido
Besides delicately interpreting the character Armando, Romeo Donati is also responsible for the idea that generated the short film
and works as a producer and executive producer of ANNAVESPA. We also know that this is not the first work you have done together.
How did this successful partnership come about?
It all came about by chance. We are married and met in 2007. A short time later Romeo proposed to me to make a short
comic video to put on the Internet. I wanted to write the script, and I wanted a minimum of production, but he ended up
convincing me to do it for fun, recording everything by improvising with a small Sony selfie camera (at that time they still
didn't use to take selfies pictures and films as they do now). We had two characters and one adventure: the false countess
and the false count had to take a little beetle from Rome to Moresco (on the other side of Italy) where their castle would
be. We had a lot of fun improvising and that's when I discovered that Romeo was a potential actor. It was a wonderful
game of improvisation, just like I used to do during my classes at Teatro Tablado. Only Romeo never attended theater
classes. Until today I have not put this video online. But it was important because from then on we began to collaborate.
In 2013 I wrote the script for Silver Wedding and we shot it during a vacation in Rio de Janeiro. It was a new surprise, he
created the character very easily, taking care of the visuals, such as hair, beard, and costumes. Acting with him was great
fun. Romeo is always enthusiastic about cinema and encourages me to do my projects. He had a great experience as a
team manager of race cars, so it was not difficult for him to become a producer.