Sofia Cattaneo

-What was the work process like for the film between your class, Vittorio Caratozzolo, and Luca Nicolini?

The idea was born in the first year of middle school. Our professor Caratozzolo introduced us to the script and we chose which actor would play which role. We made researches on the characters and tried to understand them before shooting. Sadly during our first years of middle school face masks were still mandatory in school and we also didn’t have a nice location to film, so even though we tried shooting some scenes, the result wasn’t the best. In the second year of middle school we changed buildings, the masks weren’t mandatory and professor Nicolini came to work as our art teacher. Like that, we could finally start shooting even though we had already rehearsed the parts the previous year. Prof. Nicolini taught us the different shooting techniques and how to apply them. He also helped us find the locations to shoot the scenes. Like that we were ready to go!

-What was the scriptwriting like? And the research on the film’s theme: women in science?

We researched mainly on women in medicine, and researched together in class about them. For the scriptwriting we were given some structure for the conversations and were told to complete them at home, to create a more natural effect and to include the entire class on the project. My parts were mostly already scripted because they’re mainly fact reports.

-What was it like working alongside Eugenia and Allegra?

I personally regard it as a great experience. They both did a great job, making this short film a masterpiece. We worked well together even though we obviously didn’t appear on screen at the same time. I must admit, everyone in the class did a great job on their roles, but they were particularly exceptional!

-What was your costume design like for the film?

Since none of us could actually sew, we relied on the clothes each one us already had at home. Everything that’s on screen has a 0 euro budget, and was either found at school or at one of the students’ house.

-Do you plan to pursue a career in film in the future?

I hardly think I’m qualified to become an actress, but it’s always useful to know new skills such as acting or being able to create a film. I myself went to a scientific highschool, so maybe I’ll become a doctor instead, who knows!

-What kind of films do you like? Who is your favorite film director?

I don’t really have a favourite film genre, but I usually enjoy action movies or thrillers, and recently I’ve been getting invested in animation movies, since I’m trying animation myself, so I enjoy films from Satoshi Kon or Hayao Miyazaki.

-Did you study film history in school? Who is your favorite film director in Italian history?

We studied how the films were made and tried to replicate them, for example, we remade the first 15 minutes of “c’era una volta il west” of Sergio Leone in our school garden. If I had to choose between italian film makers, I would choose him, because since when I was little my mom made me watch together with her many of his films, and I was fascinated by them, and especially by the soundtrack composed by Ennio Morricone.

-Your film is about the role of women in the world of science. What do you think about the role of women in the film industry?

I think that the role of an actress too has its problems. Maybe you’re not ostracized like women doctors, but I believe that women in the entertaining industry are often sexualized or diminished just to pleasure the fans. Also, since many films star male protagonists, women actresses can get diminished or stuck in side roles. And their selection for actresses more often than not depends largely on their beauty and less their talent, which gets less appreciated if the audience finds her “ugly”.