MARICA
10’
Italy, Switzerland
Documentary, Experimental
A film by Anouk Chambaz
“Marica” - water nymph and lady of the animals - portrays the complex relationship between Donatella Di Cola and the butterflies she breeds in her laboratory.
synopsis
Donatella has a unique story. She was working as a beekeeper in Paliano, when she had to face an unexpected enemy. A local butterfly invaded the bees’ habitat, ate their honey and destroyed their larvae. Donatella could have fought this parasite, but instead she decided to start breeding butterflies. I was struck by her story, and her capacity for metamorphosing a failure into an opportunity. There is a strong bond between Donatella and the butterflies: they are cared for by her with great respect and with a special attention to saving the species from extinction. Yet eggs hatch, caterpillars shed thir skin, pupae metamorphose only when she decides to grow them in her laboratory, like a modern Frankenstein. It is that special relationship that I decided to portray.
director’s notes
credits
Anouk Chambaz
director
Donatella Di Cola
with
Saskia Scorselo
dop
Vittoria Agrati
art director
Edoardo Buttinelli
set design, costumes
Giulia Cosma
editing
Lorenzo Minozzi
sound
Giulia Mangoni
local assistant
Rasoir Bouée
produced by
Mattatoio - Azienda Speciale Palaexpo
supported by
FESTIVAL SELECTIONS AND AWARDS
✷ 33. Rio de Janeiro International Festival - Curta Cinema (Academy Awards® qualifying) | International Premiere - 2024
✷ Honorable Mention
✷ 19. Lago Film Fest | National Premiere - 2023
✷ 20. Athens Digital Arts Festival | Greek Premiere - 2024
✷ 7. Marmostra International Festival | Portuguese Premiere - 2024
✷ 3. Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival | Official Selection - 2024
bio
Anouk Chambaz (Lausanne, 1993) explores poetics and politics in the moving image and sound. Her practice focuses on the observation and experience of time. She witnesses encounters between life forms and geological-social landscapes, questioning memories and speculations surrounding them. Graduated in cinema and philosophy from Lausanne and Rome, she specialised with a master's degree in moving images in Venice. In 2022, she was the winner of the video section of the Combat Prize. Her works have been exhibited in various institutions, including Museo Novecento and Palazzo Vecchio (Florence), Südtiroler Kunstlerbund (Bolzano), Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa (Venice), Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (Turin), Macro (Rome), Contemporary Jewish Museum (San Francisco).
filmography
✷ MARICA
(2023)
LE SENTINELLE
(2022)
VUES DE LA FALAISE
(2020)
VEGETATION WALK
(2016)
06:24
(2016)