Hometown: Rome

City of current residence: Rome

Occupation/ Area of study: Cinema, television and multimedia production

What themes are important to you in narratives about girlhood?

The important themes, in my opinion, regarding the narrative about adolescence are those that concern: personal growth, self-love, the mother-daughter relationship, the family, friendship and those that have at their centre issues concerning the future.

Are there any films that you remember having a strong influence on your ideas of what it meant to be a ‘girl’?

Yes, the films are: Mean Girls, Pretty Princess, 10 Things I Hate About You, Ice Princess, The Devil Wears Prada, Rear Window, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Come tu mi vuoi.

If applicable, in what ways did the films you have mentioned influence your own identity as a ‘girl’ and consequently as someone who is female-identifying? This influence may be positive or negative.

Many of these films have shown me female models of strong and determined girls and women, who pursue their dreams and manages to achieve them. Although many are perhaps almost surreal in some ways, like Pretty Princess, they made me grow with strong values. Others, like The Devil Wears Prada, showed me the model of a woman to aspire to.

What films on girlhood would you recommend to your younger self? (What films about girlhood do you think the girls of today should watch?)

The  films about girlhood that today’s teenagers should watch are: Lady Bird, Un bacio, The Devil Wears Prada, Hunger Games, The Help, Mildred Pierce and Rear Window.

How do representations of girlhood in your national cinema differ from those of of Hollywood/American cinema?

In Hollywood cinema there are many more representations of women as strong and independent models, compared to cinema in Italy, in which in most cases the woman is seen as an object, an object of gaze and of male desire.

Do you prefer narratives of girlhood from your own national cinema to that of other countries? Why/why not?

Unfortunately, during my adolescence I found few models in Italian cinema. And many of those present were not able to show a female model to aspire to. I was much more influenced and I mostly enjoyed Hollywood movies. 

Can you recommend an Italian film specifically which make an impact on you in relation to girlhood? 

An Italian film that produced a strong impact on me, even though it is no longer a teenager, was “Un bacio”, which deals with issues such as personal growth, friendship, the role of women in today’s society. It is a film that manages to deal with difficult and controversial issues in a delicate and touching way, such as those that may concern adolescent growth.