Cinema for me is…

Cecilia in 11 frames

1. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore (IT, 1988). I watched it at school for the first time at 12 years old. 

3. What does Europe mean to you?
Europe for me is embracing ‘the Other’ (as the ‘Foreign’ and the diverse) into our own identity, and the important role of the Other in our existence. I see Europe as a portal to endless possibilities of growth and experience for everyone (especially for the younger generations).

4. In 2024, I think it is important to vote in the European elections because:
It’s important to vote in 2024 because as young individuals of a mobile society the decisions of the EU will affect our future and possibilities, especially in a climate of crisis and tension. It’s important not to zone out from issues which might seem physically distant from us, because they are actually behind our doorstep.  

5. What do you like the most about your country that makes it unique? 
The Mediterranean light, especially in the afternoon. Everywhere I go I miss it deeply. It makes me feel at home.

6. Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it? 
The FilmHouse in Edinburgh, sadly it is now shut because of cost-of-living crisis. It was a great cultural hub for international films, film festivals and students. It had affordable prices and events to make cinema an inclusive space for everyone. It is heart-breaking that such cultural and creative hubs are the first ones to be sacrificed in times of crisis, even though they massively improve our community.

7.  What is your dream job in the film industry?
I’m still figuring it out.  I see the world through the viewfinder of my camera so I would definitely want my long-term job to involve holding a camera in my hands.

8. Which film director would you like to be? 
Céline Sciamma (Tomboy, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, …) her films touch the deepest strings of my soul. The way she depicts womanhood and girlhood is truly intimate, delicate, fierce, sensual, and complex.

9. Which film character do you most identify with? 
Frances from Frances Ha by Noah Baumbach (US, 2012). She’s a determined idealist and a dreamer but also stubborn, chaotic, and sometimes lost.

10. Your favorite soundtrack or song? 
Bar Mediterraneo by Nu Genea. To me It’s the beat of a late-summer evening, by the sea, feeling so peaceful but with a little bit of a heavy heart because the summer is coming to an end. 

11. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be? 
It might sound cliché for some, but it would be Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson (US, 2012), nothing better than living on a whimsical island, running away from adults, camping in the forest, swimming in the sea, and wearing cute green beetle earrings. 

Cecilia Volpi is the Ambassador of Cinema Beltrade. Find out more about the cinema here.