On 24 June at 9.30 pm, at the Arena Nuovo Sacher in Rome, Nanni Moretti will present MOTHERS, directed by Alice Tomassini. Cinematography by Francesca Zonars CCS and Alberto Marchiori CCS. Written by Vincenzo Scuccimarra and Alice Tomassini, the film is produced by Carlo Degli Esposti, Marco Grifoni and Nicola Serra, edited by Julien Panzarasa, with an original score by Andrea Guerra. The film is distributed by Wanted in Italy.
Followed by an in-person conversation with director Alice Tomassini and Chiara Tagliaferri, author of Arkansas, on the themes of motherhood and surrogacy. Buy your ticket here.
In MOTHERS, Alice Tomassini weaves together three stories connected by surrogacy, set between Cambodia and Italy, tracing the consequences of the sudden criminalisation of the practice in the Asian country and the impact of restrictive legislation on the Italian families involved. The cinematography of Francesca Zonars and Alberto Marchiori accompanies with sensitivity a film that brings together testimony, vulnerability and social responsibility. The film follows 32 Cambodian women who were arrested and compelled to raise children intended for others, while in Italy new legislation targets prospective parents. Among them is Lia, the daughter of two fathers, who asserts her right to exist.
Francesca Zonars: “When Alice called me, she said: ‘We need to tell the story of these women, but we cannot let them be recognised — for them Francesca Zonars: “When Alice called me, she said: ‘We need to tell the story of these women, but we cannot let them be recognised — for them it could be dangerous.’ From there, the challenge was to frame without revealing, to light protecting, and to find an image that would overturn both perspective and posture: from a gaze that stands above, judges and condemns, to one that draws alongside and listens.”
Alberto Marchiori: «‘The choice Alice and I made was to step gently into Lia’s life and that of her family, allowing the handheld camera to follow the natural rhythm of her gestures and her daily routine. Working solely with natural light and a minimal technical set-up enabled us to remain light and fully present. In this way, filming time became shared time, fostering a direct and authentic relationship.’ ».
