Skip to main content

Interview: Actress Isabella Ragonese on her film 'Sole, cuore, amore'


Americans know her as Rosa Napolitano from "The Golden Door," Emanuele Crialese's heartfelt story of immigration in America at the turn of the 20th century. Italians know her as a diverse contemporary actress always mesmerizing audiences as she wondrously transforms herself into her characters. 

 Born in Palermo in 1981, Isabella Ragonese studied her craft in her hometown with theater director Michele Perriera. Her studies included interpretations of his work whether it'd be writing, directing or starring in adaptations. Upon graduating, she received her first big break in Crialese's "Nuovomondo" (The Golden Door) and just two years later, headed the all-star cast of Paolo Virzì's "Tutta la vita davanti" (The Whole Life Ahead). She went on to appear in numerous productions on both the big and small screen. Then in 2014, she teamed up again with her "Tutta la vita davanti" costar Elio Germano for Mario Martone's award-winning "Leopardi."
A scene from Paolo Virzì's "Tutta la vita davanti"

All three of Ragonese's 2017 releases were featured at Italian film festivals in North America in June- Open Roads: New Italian Cinema in New York and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival in Canada. The latter showed Edoardo Falcone's ironic comedy about an unlikely friendship, "Questione di karma" and Fabio Mollo's "Il padre d'Italia," the story of a carefree singer (Ragonese) searching for some stability with a retail worker (Luca Marinelli), recovering from a hard breakup and in need of someone to love. The two set out on a road trip to the south of Italy. They manage to find some happiness along the way, even if it is short-lived. 
A scene from "Il padre d'Italia"

Daniele Vicari's "Sole, cuore, amore" (Sun, Heart, Love) was shown at Lincoln Center. The film reflects contemporary Italy and the challenges that young Italians are facing in the job market. Ragonese becomes Eli, a loving wife and mother forced to endure a tiresome daily commute and unforgiving boss (Francesco Acquaioli) just to make ends meet while her husband (Francesco Montanari) searches for work. Through Eli's relationships with her friends, coworkers, customers and family, we understand the burden she carries and the responsibility she feels for the people in her life.  
A scene from "Sole, cuore, amore"

I spoke with Isabella Ragonese while she was in New York presenting "Sole, cuore, amore" at Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. We talked about her role in the film and why this story is so relevant today. She also gave me her take on the improvement in the roles being offered to women. Below is our interview translated along with video clips of her original answers in Italian. 
Pif, Isabella Ragonese and Claudio Genovese at Open Roads 2017, NYC

Tell me about your role in "Sole cuore amore" and what you did to prepare.
My character’s name is Eli. She’s a woman that works just like so many others that at the same time become heroines balancing family, work and everything at once. She’s an empathic person that works in a café. So at the beginning of preparing for this role, we learned how to make coffee and cappuccino very quickly while at the same time having friendly relations and talking with the typical clients of a Roman café. You have to do a bunch of things at the same time and very quickly while making the patrons feel warm and welcome. So we tried improvisation. My character has a husband and four children, so we had to build memories and make them seem as true as possible. 


Would you say that Eli exemplifies a modern Roman woman?
 She is a Roman woman but she could really be from any part of Italy. So many women can identify with this character. Not being Roman myself, I tried to give her Roman qualities. She’s a woman who takes responsibility for her decisions and doesn’t place the blame on others. She pulls out her inner strength and tries never to seem tired. She always goes through life with a smile. This is what motivates her. Despite just getting three hours of sleep a night, she faces life with a smile and is always positive. So the strength of a woman comes through and dissipates the fatigue. 
Did you enjoy playing this character Eli?
Yes, so much. She is one of the most beautiful characters I've ever portrayed. It was really a gift.. above all because the most beautiful compliment I have received is that you forget that you're watching an actress play this character.. it really seems like her. For me, this gives sense to my work. I like to confuse myself with a character, to forget that it's me playing a role and to think that I'm going through another person's life.


 Tell me about the relevance of this film and the conversations it must be generating in Italy given the current situation with jobs and the economy.
I thinks it's a film that had to be made. Beyond the emotional story, it creates a line of communication among us, speaking about problems that would otherwise not be talked about. In this case, it's the subject of jobs and the fact that there are no more rights in the workplace. There are few jobs and it seems that the more you work, the less you earn. Many jobs offer few euros a month. So little money makes an impossible life but many people are forced to live this way. And so you often see in the outskirts of Rome, they're always talking about gangs, criminals and drug dealers.. people are getting shot. It's reality but I prefer the people who work hard and honestly. 


What do you think of the roles being offered to women now? It seems like things are improving and actresses are portraying more interesting characters, not just supporting characters like the wife or mother. 
I come from the generation that is responsible for actually making this change. I am always seeing more films that are telling stories from the point-of-view of a woman and fewer films when the woman is just the girlfriend of the lead character. It's great because it gives actresses the opportunity to do what they know best. So I'm very happy because we are able to create deeper, more profound characters and have more enthusiasm for what we do. It's not a matter of being the lead character.. it's about being a multidimensional character.


Much of Isabella Ragonese's work is on YouTube, including clips from several of her movies along with her very entertaining showreel. Follow us on Twitter for updates on the screenings of her films.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Luminous Legacies: Yoichi Ohira’s Murano Glass at Magazzino Italian Art

A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira. “Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at  Magazzino Italian Art  until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira, who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition features works that highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career. Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist. The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores ho...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′  - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait  “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann.  Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...
Post a Comment
Read more

7 Days - 7 Women: Gina Lollobrigida

Update, January 16,2023: Gina Lollobrigida has passed away at the age of 95.  On Day 3 of our week-long series, 7 Days - 7 Women, in which we are showcasing seven strong, talented women working as filmmakers, writers or visual artists, we celebrate the forceful, creative energy of movie legend Gina Lollobrigida. She has been called the most beautiful woman in the world and at 87 years old, she is still a sight to behold. Her outer beauty mirrors the talent and inner beauty of this true, complete artist. Lollobrigida, the iconic actress, photojournalist and sculptress, was born Luigina Lollobrigida on July 4, 1932 in Subiaco, Italy, a town located outside of Rome in the province of Lazio.  Adored by fans all over the world, Lollobrigida has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Anthony Quinn and Shelly Winters. She acted opposite Bob Hope in his 1968 comedy, "The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell," and...
Post a Comment
Read more

In Conversation with Talia Shire

She has immortalized two of the most memorable characters in American cinema and now she’s promoting her new film that mirrors issues facing the working class. Talia Shire became a household name in the 1970s with her role as Connie Corleone in "The Godfather" and Adrian Balboa in "Rocky"– two characters that went on to experience tremendous growth in the sequels of both films.  Shire and her brother, collaborator and director Francis Ford Coppola grew up in a family that embraced the arts. Their father Carmine Coppola was a renowned flutist and composer. He often took his children on the road when he performed. So there was always that creative energy and sense of adventure present in their childhood and adolescent years.  “What you have to understand is that Francis is probably the greatest writer. He and Mario (Puzo) did Shakespeare and the Greeks. So people who love "The Godfather" are really listening to literature. He went on and did what ...
Post a Comment
Read more