Skip to main content

Samantha Cristoforetti presents the docu-film "Astrosamantha la prima italiana nello spazio"

It's been a full week of star/studded premieres with four nights of events preceding the opening of the 10th Rome Film Fest, which will be held from Friday October 16th to Saturday 24th. The events have begun at the MAXXI - National Museum of XXI Century Arts, and the Casa del Cinema, before converging to the Auditorium Parco della Musica, which has been the heart of the festival since its very first edition.

 
The first event took place on October 12th at the MAXXI- National Museum of XXI Century Arts, when Samantha Cristoforetti, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, Italian Air Force Capitan, and flight engineer for the second long-term mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), presented the docu-film "Astrosamantha la prima italiana nello spazio", a beautiful, inspiring documentary about the first Italian woman in space. The film, directed and produced by Gianluca Cerasola, a journalist and international reporter, was made in collaboration with ESA, ASI and the Aeronautica Militare. With the narrative voice of Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini, the director follows Samantha Cristoforetti for three years, from her training to her return from space, showing us a new side of the woman who was awarded the highest Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the title of Cavaliere di Gran Croce, upon her return from her mission.
 
 
With a backdrop of exceptional photography, director Gianluca Cerasola gives us an inside look at the personality of Cristoforetti, a woman that is often seen in the media talking about her profession but rarely about herself. The film shows us the intense training for the mission that took place on three continents along with some lighter moments with friends, including a group of women she met through NASA that call themselves the "Tank Girls." The quality of Cristoforetti's personality that I appreciate the most after watching this film is her ability to stay calm and smile under any circumstance. I'm sure that quality has helped her get to where she is today.


In person, she was gracious in posing for photos and talking with fans. She stood by Cerasola's side as he gleamed with pride at the masterpiece he and his team created. Cristoforetti took a few moments to chat with a young fan that was looking up to her with complete adoration in her eyes. It was a sweet moment and all the paparazzi gathered around to make the most of it.

Samantha Cristoforetti is well-connected with her fans on social media and is always posting interesting updates. You can follow her on Twitter at @AstroSamantha as well as American astronaut Terry Virts, who was on the same mission and featured throughout the film.


We will keep you posted on the international distribution of  "Astrosamantha la prima italiana nello spazio". In the meantime, check out the film's trailer (with English subtitles) on Vimeo.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Actor Ivan Boragine on Gomorra, Growing up in Napoli and his Love for Theater

Neapolitan actor Ivan Boragine embraces everything that is Napoli. From his pride and passion to his nostalgia and sadness, Napoli is always in his heart. That is why his role in the popular Italian television series Gomorra has been the role of a lifetime. Not only has the worldwide   broadcast (64 countries) skyrocketed him to fame, it has given him a way to bring to light the problems and corruption of one generation so that the next could have a better chance. I met with Boragine recently while I was in Rome. I found him to be down-to-earth and honest about the pride and love he has for his culture and also for his art. We spoke a lot about his hometown of Napoli and the impact the Neapolitan theater has had on actors. We also talked about his role in Gomorra and how it fuels his love for acting.   Boragine got his start in acting a little over a decade ago when he landed a role in a local theater production of the Neapolitan classic, Miseria e Nobilità (Misery...

Italian Biblical Movies to Watch During Lent

Join me in beginning the Lenten season with my favorite adaptation of one of the Gospels-  Pier Paolo Pasolini's  1964 “Il Vangolo Secondo Matteo" (The Gospel According to St. Matthew) and a few classics that I recently discovered.  Considered by the Vatican to be among the best film adaptations of the Gospels, Pasolini's film was shot in the regions of Basilicata and Calabria. He cast his mother as Mary and many locals as extras. Spanish actor Enrique Irazoqui was cast in the role of Jesus. He was just 18-years-old when he landed the part. He had been in Rome at the time of casting and auditioned for the role. I contacted Irazoqui around this time last year to ask him about his experience making the film. He suggested that we have a conversation via Skype. Although the connection wasn’t very good, it was thrilling to talk directly with this actor whose film I had been watching for at least 20 years. He was very friendly and nostalgic in his recollections espe...

Interview: Cristina Scabbia of Italian Heavy Metal Band- Lacuna Coil

Photo by Jeremy Saffer ( http://store.jeremysaffer.com/collections/tenthirtyoneinc ) Lacuna Coil is a heavy metal band whose unique sound and creative music videos have catapulted them to international stardom. The band consists of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro on vocals, Marco Coti Zelati on bass, Cristiano Migliore and Marco 'Maus' Biazzi on guitars and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati on drums.      All members hail from Milan and bring to the table their own signature talent. A few years ago, the internet buzz about Lacuna Coil's music videos prompted me to check them out on YouTube. I've been hooked ever since. Their videos are creative vignettes shot all over the world, directed by cutting edge filmmakers in Europe and the United States.   Although Lacuna coil is considered a heavy metal band, the unique melodies in their songs are rarely found in traditional heavy metal.   The range of the band is also something you rarely see in this genre of mus...

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the age of 14, Stefania Sandrelli has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14, playing the angelic cousin of a love-stricken Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio, in the province of Lucca, in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country, and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s “Gioventù di notte,” Luciano Salce’s “The Fascist ,”  and Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” She instantly became a star and, before long, was a key figure in Italy’s legendary com...

Explore the Immense Historical Archives of Istituto Luce Cinecittà

The historical archives of Istituto Luce Cinecittà offers an extensive online collection of more than 70,000 archival videos dating back to the early 20th century and more than 430,000 photographs. The organization provides free access to the vast digital records of Italy's history and culture, which includes thousands of hours of footage.  Topics include cinema, arts, history, politics, sports and current affairs. Three hundred silent films spanning the years of 1927 – 1932 have just been added, some never seen before, with a section dedicated to world travel, entitled “Cinemobile.”  Go to  https://cinecitta.com  and click on “Esplora” on the menu bar and then choose “Archivio Cinematografico”  for film or "Archivio Fotografico" for still photos... and then explore! Click here to view one of my favorite film menus on the site... a treasure trove of documentaries made between the 1930s and 1960s. Click here to see gorgeous, rare photos of silent film...