Yahoo Movies Berlinale-Bound Mafia Drama ‘Una Femmina’ Debuts Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)
The trailer for Francesco Costabile’s Mafia family drama “Una Femmina,” which premieres in Berlinale’s Panorama section, has debuted. Intramovies will handle sales at the virtual European Film Market.
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The film centers on Rosa, a restless young woman who lives with her mother’s relatives in a remote village in Calabria, Southern Italy. Her mother’s mysterious death when she was still a child casts a shadow on her present. When the truth emerges and Rosa realizes she is trapped in a same predestined fate, she decides to betray her family, seeking revenge against her own blood. However, when your family belongs to the ‘Ndrangheta Mafia, a single misstep can lead to death.
The script was adapted from Lirio Abbate’s book “Fimmine Ribelli,” and the storyline was written by Abbate with Edoardo de Angelis, one of the producers of the movie and an established director. Together, they distilled all the stories in the book into a single tale centering on Rosa. The script is by Abbate, Serena Brugnolo, Adriano Chiarelli and Costabile.
Courtesy of Tramp Limited/O’Groove
The director describes the film as “dense of rage and humanity, a story about criminality from a feminine point of view.” He adds: “Psychological grip, oppression, and domestic extortion, these are the foundations that build up Rosa’s world. This film is primarily a family tale.”
Costabile, who is from Calabria, says: “With this movie I had the chance to look back at my past, my origins, and that was essential to create the emotional universe of the movie. ‘Una Femmina,’ despite the dramatic and violent theme, is an act of love towards my land.”
Speaking about his preparation for the film, Costabile says he travelled Calabria “connecting myself with the traumatic experience of these women, making their oppression and powerlessness tangible.” He adds: “I wanted this film to be an inner, intimate experience, almost irrational for the audience. ‘Una Femmina’ is a dark tale, a voyage in which the spectator can connect to an unconscious and archetypical dimension.”
The film stars Lina Siciliano alongside Fabrizio Ferracane, Anna Maria De Luca, Simona Malato, Vincenzo Di Rosa, Luca Massaro and Mario Russo.
Courtesy of Claudia Borgia
It was produced by Attilio De Razza and Nicola Picone at Tramp Limited, and Pierpaolo Verga and De Angelis at O’Groove. De Razza and Picone produced the films of Italian comedy stars Ficarra & Picone, as well as De Angelis’ movies. Last year, they produced Netflix’s miniseries “Framed! A Sicilian Murder Mystery,” directed by and starring Ficarra & Picone.
While studying directing at the CSC National School of Cinema in Rome, Costabile made two short films, “L’armadio” (2004) and “Inside Roma” (2006), which was nominated at the David di Donatello Awards for Best Italian Short Film, and Best Film and Best Cinematography Award at Nastri d’Argento, the Italian film journalists’ award.
He made two documentaries on the costume designer Piero Tosi, and also shot “In a Future April,” a documentary on the young Pier Paolo Pasolini, and his deep bond with his homeland. He worked with director Gianni Amelio on the research for the documentary “Happy to Be Different” (2014) and produced “Porn to Be Free” (2016) by Carmine Amoroso, a documentary on the birth of pornography in Italy and its effects on culture, art and the fight against censorship.
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