Jean-Louis Hupé / FDC
Interview with Alba Rohrwacher, member of the Feature Films Jury
Alba Rohrwacher imbues the screen with a rare sensitivity, expressing both fragility and fierceness, and her intensity and precision leave a lasting impression. She started her career in stage theatre and became the darling of auteur cinema playing in films by Luca Guadagnino, Marco Bellocchio, and her own sister Alice Rohrwacher. A member of the Feature Films Jury, she shares her journey with us.
What was the trigger, the a-ha moment where you knew that you had to become an actor?
No one in my family expected me to go down this path, since I was a very secretive little girl. One day I fell in love with the Bidon circus street performers. At the time I was doing gymnastics and I dreamed of becoming a gymnast. Meeting these French artists was like coming home, they could express themselves using their body and their voice. But I kept this dream a secret. In general, I tend to keep important things in life to myself. I’d never had the urge to share this with the rest of the world, it felt more like an inner calling, but there was no rhyme or reason for it.
When were you able to fulfill your dream?
When I finished high school at 17, I started theatre school and I immediately joined the repertory company. The stage made me understand that being an actor would become a big part of my life. Two years later I entered Italy’s national film school, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (Experimental Center of Cinematography) in Rome. Its selection process is very rigorous and being accepted there changed my life.
Which actors have inspired you and continue influencing you as an artist to this day?
When I was 17, I saw Leonardo DiCaprio in Agnieszka Holland’s Total Eclipse (1995) and I was blown away. He was so young, yet already able to portray such complex parts. He became a true inspiration for me and he made me realize that anything was possible. The way he began his career gave me the confidence to start mine. But my ultimate film idols will always be Meryl Streep and Gena Rowlands. Gena Rowlands’s collaboration with John Cassavetes is awe-inspiring. Her artful ability shines through in all the films they made together and touched me to the core.
“My approach, therefore, has something very sacred.”
Looking back on your first roles, how would you view the young actor you were?
I’m lucky because I haven’t changed. Of course, I’m more self-confident now and I have more experience. Some roles changed my life and the way I view myself as an actor. My approach, however, based on listening and a complete respect for the character and the director, has remained the same over the years. It has expanded, but it has not fundamentally changed, which I consider to be a blessing. I think of cinema as a type of religion and I am being sent on a mission. My approach, therefore, has something very sacred.
With Hungry Hearts, by Saverio Costanzo, you received an award at the Venice International Film Festival. How did approach this complex character?
I completely trusted Saverio Costanzo, with whom I had already worked on La solitudine dei numeri primi (The Solitude of Prime Numbers) (2010). This film required a tremendous physical transformation since the character was anorexic and I lost fifteen kilograms. For Hungry Hearts, I worked a lot with Saverio and with my screen partner, Adam Driver. We formed this rather magical trio. Even though my character was very tough, I believed in this mother. I can go anywhere, as long as I believe in my character. I need this connection to be able to push my own boundaries. The same goes for a scenario, sometimes I’ll agree to doing a film based on a single sentence that resonates with me and I can’t quite explain it; it’s never a calculated choice.
You’ve made three feature films and two shorts with your sister Alice. How would you describe your professional relationship?
I’m always extremely happy to shoot a film with her. Together we can explore characters full of contradictions that seem to be out there. She’s always pushing me and testing my boundaries. We also talk about work when we’re not on set, we’re often discussing our respective careers. I’m fortunate to have someone close to me with whom I can always be honest, and vice-versa. We can tell each other anything. We share the same memories, which gives us a common artistic language, an infinite creative playground.
If you could explore a film genre that you have not tried before, what would it be?
I’d love to do a musical!
