The film Breve storia d’amore, the directorial debut of Ludovica Rampoldi—already an established screenwriter—is now in cinemas, with cinematography by Gogò Bianchi CCS. After its premiere at the 20th edition of the Rome Film Fest, the feature was released in Italian theatres on 27 November 2025. The story intertwines the lives of two couples: on one side Lea, played by Pilar Fogliati, and Andrea, portrayed by Andrea Carpenzano — a pair of thirty-somethings — and on the other Rocco, played by Adriano Giannini, and Cecilia, brought to the screen by Valeria Golino, a more mature couple.
In addition to Gogò Bianchi’s cinematography, the film features editing by Francesca Calvelli, production design by Massimiliano Nocente, costumes by Stefano Ciammitti and Cecilia Cavalcoli, and an original score by Fabio Massimo Capogrosso. It is produced by Indigo Film, HT Film and Rai Cinema, with the support of the Ministry of Culture.
Rampoldi has explained that Breve storia d’amore does not portray infidelity as a mere emotional scandal, but as a catalyst for inner truths and relational fragilities. Her aim was to give voice to a complex story capable of delving into the contradictions of contemporary love — without easy judgements, but with a careful and sensitive gaze. The result is a film that, while moving through familiar territory (couples, betrayals, crises), seeks to set itself apart: not a glossy melodrama, not a noir, but a portrait of fragile relationships marked by desires, doubts and unfulfilled passions. In achieving this, Gogò Bianchi’s cinematography plays a crucial role: it constructs the visual space in which these lives unfold, holding a quiet tension between surface appearances and inner disorder, between flashes of light and the lack of courage to fully live.
CINEMATOGRAPHY NOTE BY GOGÒ BIANCHI CCS:
«In Ludovica Rampoldi’s screenplay — she may be a first-time director, but is a long-established screenwriter — the ability to portray a love story rich in nuances was already striking: half-tones, small and large lies, and the interplay of different points of view. Although the film has a main protagonist, it seeks to account for the complexity of all the characters involved, avoiding judgement and instead trying to depict the difficulties behind every relationship and the multiple viewpoints that compose it, infidelity included.
During pre-production, I therefore worked with Ludovica to understand how the cinematography, too, could express these nuances — ranging from the romantic to the comic, and even the melancholic. Breve storia d’amore is, fortunately, a film that cannot be pinned down to a specific genre. From the outset, I felt we needed to work by subtraction: seeking out elegant frames and moving the camera only when truly necessary. Grace and delicacy had to guide our photographic style as well.
One of the most stimulating challenges was understanding how to recreate a sensual atmosphere in the daytime, clandestine encounters between our protagonists. Quite sensibly, to avoid arousing suspicion with their respective partners, they meet during the day… This meant I could not rely visually on enveloping darkness or the warm tones of night. I had to shoot these scenes with lower contrast and softer, more diffused light.
Even so, we worked to interpret these naked bodies — discovering and cherishing one another — through light and composition, often drawing on the half-tones already suggested so effectively in the script, or using light to cast shadows across their bodies. Breve storia d’amore was an excellent opportunity to explore and attempt to convey, with visual maturity, the complexity of love. ».
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF
Lenses: Cooke / Canon K35
Laboratory: Flat
DIT: A. Lanza
Colourist: D. Cipriani
