Italian director Alice Rohrwacher on the importance of debuts

CANNES – At this year’s festival Alice Rohrwacher holds the prestigious role of president of the Caméra d’Or jury, the award given to the best debut film presented in the three official sections of the festival: Official Selection, Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ week), and Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Directors’ Fortnight). She spoke about it during a talk at the Italian Pavilion on the first day of the festival.

“The first moments are always important and stay with us for life, like walking into an unfamiliar room, going in for a first kiss, or landing on a foreign shore. There’s something golden about these moments and how they live in our memory. That’s why the most prestigious prize for debut films is called the Caméra d’Or. I’m relaxed, as president, it’s less stressful than being in competition. I simply hope to find in these first films a sign of change that’s aiming at disrupting the system,” the director said on the responsibility of the role. “Debut films, regardless of their flaws and challenges, seal the soul and urgency of the filmmaker into a kind of treasure chest. There’s entertainment, of course, but also this deep sense of necessity, which I believe is a strong feeling in my own country, Italy, too.”

Rohrwacher also admitted the difficulties that are involved with making a first film: “This doesn’t mean there’s always room to express oneself. In particular, across Europe, there’s a strong dependence on public funding. It’s impossible to debut otherwise, without public support. It’s a delicate issue, one that we should all protect. Those who manage public funds should give importance to first works and to their diversity.”

Speaking of her own start, she admitted: “I’m like Lazzaro Felice—I never change. Corpo Celeste was presented here at Cannes in 2011; it was a completely free film. Today, seeing its errors and imperfections is precious. A debut film is the greatest opportunity we have—to be unfiltered and go straight to our purest need.” Looking ahead, she mentioned two films and a series.

When asked about female presence in film, the director affirmed: “It was about time, after four thousand years. I’m glad to be part of it, but the goal should be that we no longer have to talk about it. Real change begins when women join forces, as the greatest enemy of a woman breaking ground has often been other women. That too is part of patriarchy. Thankfully, that ‘lone woman’ mechanism is now being dismantled, and the artistic gaze unites women and men alike.” “Coming together and forming alliances transforms words from chatter into legal action. This applies not only to gender issues, but to any political change,” she added.

Incidentally, her sister Alba is serving on the main competition jury: “When they called me,” Alice recalled, “I thought they had the wrong number. But no, they really wanted both of us. I’m happy for Italian cinema, and it’s lovely to know she’s here, in another jury just a block away. We’ve always supported each other. And we do not share even one film in our judgments, which is very peculiar. Overall there are 28 debut films, and even the opening film is a debut. There’s a real desire for change. I’m curious to see how young people now view the world, as the way the old rulers do has run its course. We need signs and seeds of an unexpected and unpredictable future.”

“It’ll be fun to argue with the other jury members,” she added. “And then make peace. I want to show the world that peace is possible”. “Of course, films have their own lives beyond awards. Still, giving one is a huge responsibility,” she concluded.

Finally, she mentioned her special relationship with France: “I’m grateful to France and even to my high school French teacher. French helped me gain access to the co-production system. But I indeed have a heart-wrenching love for Italy, the ones we love always hurt us the most. Mine is an extraordinary country, but people only seem to value its food and wine culture. Culture is something else: it’s a precipice, an edge, a frontier, what helps us change perspective. In La chimera, I placed a woman named Italia, hiding her mixed-race children under the bed, but they are our future. The mission of cinema is to make our gaze foreign and being in a country that sees me through foreign eyes gives me significance.”

Thierry Frémaux called her “one of the heirs of the Lumière brothers”. “Well,” she said, “they were two brothers, like me and my sister. I like that comparison, because cinema is about kinship. What I share with early cinema is that sense of wonder at a technology that can amaze us. Images bring together things we usually think of as separate and unites them. This was evident in Lumière’s cinema: a value that goes beyond entertainment, that unbinds and frees our gaze from the weight of history.”