Skip to main content

Profile: Alba Caterina Rohrwacher

Photo by Fabio Lovino 

Actress Alba Rohrwacher has been working more than ever lately and currently has two films receiving international praise; Le meraviglie which was directed by her sister, Alice, and won the Grand Prix at the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival; and Via Castellana Bandiera which is about to be shown in New York City at the Open Roads: New Italian Cinema film series at Lincoln Center.

Born to an Italian mother and German father, Rohrwacher has taken Italian cinema by storm since her debut in 2004. With her trademark red locks and blue eyes, she does not have the typical Italian look of most screen sirens in her country, but that is exactly what sets her apart from the rest.

Born in Tuscany, Rohrwacher relocated to Rome where she studied her craft at the Scuola Nazionale di Cinema. Shortly thereafter, she began working in theater and film. Her first big screen appearances were in smaller supporting roles in films such as Carlo Mazzacurati's 2004 L'amore ritrovato (An Italian Romance), the 2005 comedy, Kiss Me Lorena and Marco Bellocchio's hit movie, Il regista di matrimoni (The Wedding Director). Each of those films earned her enough recognition to catch the attention of veteran directors, Pupi Avati and Silvio Soldini. It was her role in Pupi Avati's 2008 film, Il papà di Giovanna (Giovanna's Father) that jump started her career as a leading lady. In Il papà di Giovanna, she plays the role of Giovanna Casali, an emotionally fragile teenager who is jailed for the murder of a fellow classmate. The role earned her a David di Donatello Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and a Golden Globe for Best Breakthrough Actress.

L'uomo che verrà
Rohrwacher has a mysterious quality about her that makes her characters complicated and emotionally layered. In a Jury's comment from the Venice Film Festival, she was described as an actress that "possesses an utterly natural skill, and each of her performances is always profound and complex." It is no wonder that Rohrwacher was named one of Europe's up and coming "Shooting Stars." She entrusts her characters with painstaking intensity and vulnerability. One role in which those qualities were thoroughly employed was Giorgio Diritti's 2008 drama, L'uomo che verrà (The Man Who WIll Come). The film is set during World War II in the German occupied territory of Monte Sole, just outside Bologna, and tells the tragic events referred to as "The Marzabotto Massacre," when villagers were forced to endure murder and torture at the hands of the Nazis during the decline of Mussolini. Rohrwacher plays the role of a protector to a little girl she is trying to save. She balances a fine line of fear and bravery while looking death right in the face.  

Cosa voglio di più
Rohrwacher's 2011 release, Cosa voglio di più (Come Undone) in which she costars with Pier Francesco Favino, demonstrates a sensual side of the actress. "Cosa voglio di più" is about two people who are in committed relationships but are wildly attracted to each other and engage in an illicit affair. The sultry love scenes and radical nature of Rohrwacher's character uncover yet another dimension of her wide acting range. In "Cosa voglio di più," she suppresses her inhibitions and delivers a passionate performance. The film marks new territory for Rohrwacher and has given the young actress even more international recognition and praise.
Via Castellana Bandiera
In Emma Dante's, Via Castellana Bandiera (A Street in Palermo), Rohrwacher delivers a fierce performance alongside Dante, who also stars in the film. The story recounts two young women on their way to celebrate a friend’s marriage when they decide to take a shortcut through town. That’s when they enter a one-way street with another car trying to get through. As both drivers are experiencing frustration and conflict in their own personal lives, they are not in the mood to give in and let the other through. So, there they stay camped out in their cars until one is forced by dire circumstances to finally move her car. The title, Via Castellana Bandiera is named after the narrow street in Palermo where the women remain, refusing to move their cars.

Alba Rohrwacher is prolific in her work, always taking on new projects to challenge her skills, making her grow as an actress. She currently has three upcoming releases in production: Hungry Hearts by Saverio Costanzo, Racconto dei racconti by Matteo Garrone and Vergine giurata by Laura Bispuri.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New faces of Italian cinema

Angelo Iannelli With the 2012 film festivals just about wrapped up, we saw a big emphasis this year on newly emerging and independent filmmakers. This was most notable in the Venice Film Festival's Horizon's program, which gave these filmmakers an unprecedented amount of visibility as the program reached out to people all over the world via the internet.  To mark this current trend, I recently caught up with two independent filmmakers in Rome: Angelo Iannelli and Vito Napolitano. Each filmmaker has experience on both sides of the camera. Their origins are based in the south of Italy but they are now living in Rome. Angelo Iannelli was born in Benevento in the region of Campania, while Vito Napolitano is from Lecce in Puglia. What I enjoyed the most about our conversation is the passion with which the two young filmmakers speak about cinema. They are so enthusiastic and about their craft, they reel you right into their dreams. The three of us recently met up at the Li

A Conversation with Actor Mirko Frezza of David di Donatello Winner "Il più grande sogno"

The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema.  I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees.  Among my personal favorites  is Michele Vannucci's  Il più grande sogno  simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever  heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw  Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew that I would have to find out mor

Review: Francesco Rosi's 1967 'More Than a Miracle' starring Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif

Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif give extraordinary performances during the prime of their careers in Francesco Rosi’s “C’era una volta” (“More than a Miracle”). A delightful, whimsical film that transports you to another time, this enchanting 1967 period piece tells the tale of Rodrigo (Sharif), a Spanish prince initially opposed to marriage, and Isabella (Loren), the beautiful, defiant peasant girl who wins his heart. The film opens with Rodrigo attempting to tame a wild horse as his mother chides him for not taming a wife instead. When she relays orders from the king of Spain for him to marry, he mounts his unruly steed and gallops away, proudly displaying his independent spirit. Horse and supposed master run free through the countryside for a stretch, but the equally rebellious animal throws Rodrigo and abandons in a field, leaving him to fend for himself.  While searching for help, he finds himself in a remote monastery where he meets a flying monk (Yes, the monk actually flies.) who

Ornella Muti: Four decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with La Moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife).  Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, Sole nella pelle (Sun on the Skin) in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies with the political climate, the breathtaking seaside as well as the styles and cars of that time.  Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and succeeds in capturing the innocence and beauty of first love.   Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with Flash Gordon . She played the role of Princess Aura.  She’s appeared in two other American films, including, Oscar , which was directed by John Landis and featured Don Ameche, Chaz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone

Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni.. What cinema dreams are made of

The Toronto International Film Festival is wrapping up its retrospective of the cinematic collaboration of husband and wife team, Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni. Over the last few days, the couple have participated in discussions, Q & A sessions and have introduced several of their films. Today, I attended a screening of "La voce della luna" (The voice of the moon). It was  Federico Fellini's last film and is a wonderful tribute to the director's signature poetic madness. The film gave Benigni the opportunity to team up with fellow beloved comic, Paolo Villaggio, and the two created a truly unforgettable adventure. Today's screening began with an introduction by Benigni. The moments leading up to his introduction were noticeably serious and somewhat tense. Benigni's publicist and TIFF security staunchly guarded his privacy. There was no interaction and no photos were allowed. Guided by his entourage, he walked quickly from the Green Room to th