Skip to main content

Interview: Singer/Songwriter Rosmy on Her Stance Against Bullying and Why She Loves Working in Basilicata

Photo By Foto Nuccio
This week, I’ve returned to southern Italy’s gorgeous region of Basilicata to cover the last couple days of Cinemadamare, a program which offers hands-on filmmaking to the directors of tomorrow. The program is aimed at young people from all over the world who participate in the program by traveling to various locations and making films. This week alone, the participants made 16 short films that were presented in a screening in Matera, followed by an award ceremony. This week, Cinemadamare gave these up and coming filmmakers the freedom, creativity, equipment and the stunning natural set of the Sassi of Matera. So in the spirit of young talent making films in Basilicata, I thought it would be the right moment to publish my conversation with a young, talented vocalist who recently made a visually stunning and socially relevant music video in Matera and other locations throughout the region.

Ho scelto essere libera (I Choose to be Free) by singer/songwriter Rosmy is about overcoming the cruelty of bullies. The lyrics deliver the important message to those who are bullied and to those cowards who take a perverse pleasure in taunting others. The message is one of ignoring the cruel words by standing up to a bully and saying, “I am free of you. Your words mean nothing to me because I believe in myself.” The universal meaning of this song can be understood in any language just by watching the poignant video and seeing the images of children on a playground being hurt by the words and actions of their peers. However, in our social media age of “Keyboard Warriors” (Guerrieri da Tastiera)- those strong in their anonymity behind a computer but cowardly when confronted face to face- the message also extends to the adult who has mentally and emotionally not left the playground and chooses to spend his or her adult life online trying to hurt others. They are also known as “trolls” and with the explosion of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, they are in full swing.

Backstage with Rosmy at the Giornate del Cinema Lucano in Maratea
I saw Rosmy, perform the song in Maratea last month at the Giornate del Cinema Lucana. It was a captivating performance. Between the catchy tune of the song, her strong voice and the powerful images on the screen, I was just blown away. I caught up with Rosmy backstage and chatted with her about the inspiration behind writing this song and about her affection for her roots in Basilicata.

The images and lyrics in your music video are powerful. What’s the message you’re trying to communicate through this song?
The message of the video is the communication of freedom, to believe in yourself. Always believe in yourself like I did. I was born with nothing. I worked hard building a career and slowly, by believing in what I was doing, I arrived where I am today. My work covers many topics, but especially ones that deal with important social issues. I wanted to communicate this message to young people through this video.. Don’t pay attention to the bullying. Just always believe in yourself and you will keep smiling through life.

Rosmy performing Ho scelto essere libera in Maratea with the moon-like Calanchi in the background
You shot the video throughout the region of Basilicata, in beautiful places like Matera, Aliano and Maratea. Tell me about your “Orgoglio Lucano” (Lucano Pride) and why you wanted to show these landmark locations.
I wanted to make this video in Basilicata. I value the importance of my land. I am from the province of Potenza but I live in Milan now. I moved away about 10 years ago but I still very much appreciate places like Matera, Maratea and the Calanchi of Aliano, which almost seems like standing on the moon. Beautiful.. For me, to return to the land of my origins is to return to my true identity.

There has been an increase in the number of productions being filmed in Basilicata during the last few years. In your opinion, what makes the region so appealing to all these film crews, national and international?
I also have a background in theater. I was interested in acting before I realized that I wanted to express myself through music. I believe there are many very beautiful locations in Basilicata. For me, it was difficult to settle on just a few locations for the video because I wanted to shoot everywhere. But we had to choose just three. I wanted to shoot in Basilicata because aside from always being so beautiful, it’s also very different from other regions. There is vast wilderness. It’s like searching for different aspects of nature all in one place. There is the sea, the mountains, la rocca frasgliata (jagged rock formations along the coastline), the Dolomites. Basilicata has many things all together in one region.

Rosmy performs at events all over Italy. To learn more, follow her on social media.. Facebook and Instagram.

Watch the video…

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Anthology Film Archives Presents: The Italian Connection: Poliziotteschi and Other Italo-Crime Films of the 1960s and '70's

June 19 – June 29 Influenced both by 1960s political cinema and Italian crime novels, as well as by French noir and American cop movies like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection," many Italian filmmakers in the late-60s and early-70s gradually moved away from the spaghetti western genre, trading lone cowboys for ‘bad’ cops and the rough frontier of the American west for the mean streets of modern Italy. Just as they had with their westerns, they reinvented the borrowed genre with their inimitable eye for style and filled their stories with the kidnappings, heists, vigilante justice, and brutal violence that suffused this turbulent moment in post-boom 1970s Italy. The undercurrent of fatalism and cynicism in these uncompromising movies is eerily reminiscent of the state of discontent in Italy today. ‘The Italian Connection’ showcases the diversity and innovation found in the genre, from the gangster noir of Fernando Di Leo’s "Caliber 9" ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ornella Muti: Five 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 its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time.  Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures 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,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty.  He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence.  Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...
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

The Timeless Vision of Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pondering his films and poetry, I wonder if the uniqueness of Pier Paolo Pasolini's films was rooted in his unconventional childhood. Born in Bologna in 1922, Pasolini's father was a lieutenant in the army, and his family was always moving. He grew up in various small towns in Northern Italy. After his parents separated, he spent most of his time in his mother's hometown of Casarsa, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. There, he grew to respect the area's peasant culture and began to write poetry in the region's dialect. He studied literature and art history at the University of Bologna and was drafted into the army during World War II. The war proved to be especially tragic for his family as his younger brother was executed by Communist partisans. Following the war, he returned to Casarsa where he worked as a teacher and ironically became a leading member of the Communist party there. Pasolini was later expelled from the party due to allegations of homo...
Post a Comment
Read more