“I want to spread my messages and tell everyone they are not alone in this ride.” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Federica Alice Carlino

2023 March 26

“I want to spread my messages and tell everyone they are not alone in this ride.” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Federica Alice Carlino

-Who is Federica Alice Carlino?

Federica Alice Carlino was born in 1991 not far from Milan, Italy. She showed her love and passion for movies at the age of 3. Her family moved around Europe for work, so she had the opportunity to meet new cultures. She grew up in the Netherlands until she was 6, then moved back to Italy for most of her education, she also studied in London at Richmond Upon Thames College. She studied filmmaking, photography, and makeup in Milan and makeup prosthetics in Rome with Dario Argento’s makeup artist, Sergio Stivaletti. She is a New York Film Academy BFA graduate. She worked with Warner Brothers and Netflix. She has experience in directing, casting, writing, and acting. She works in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Milan, and Los Angeles.

What inspired you to become a Filmmaker?

I was 3 and I asked my dad how they get to have dinosaurs in Jurassic Park if they were forever gone. He told me it was cinema magic, the next day he found a VHS with extras and we watched it, I finally understood what was behind it. I told him that I wanted to do this when I grew up and both my parents thought it was just a phase, but here I am today. I guess it’s exactly it, the fact that with movies you can make everything happen, even if it would be impossible in real life. Achieving the impossible is what drives my perseverance, for sure. As an adult I’d say being relatable to your audience, we have different lives, we grow up in different settings, but we happen to live the same emotions, what is even crazier, is that we happen to meet the same people, the toxic friend, that horrible teacher, a great mentor, a narcissist relative, the goofy and funny friend, first loves, first kiss, a fight with a parent, a sudden death, we grieve, we cry, we celebrate… If you use these elements to hold your audience’s hands and to bring them into your world, telling them your story through familiar emotions is already 80% of the work done there. I also tend to take inspiration from what happened to me and I then create a fictional world around it, if I have a real input to start from I feel like I can tell my story in an authentic way. It works with your characters as well. Think about that weird uncle you have or a good friend of yours, or your first love, what about that old lady you see every day at the bus stop? Think about real people in your life, start from there, and then create a new person, give them a zodiac sign, a hobby, a favorite Spotify playlist, you can truly use little things you already have around you to create a good movie. If your character is not perfect it is even better.

-Do you think cinema can bring a change in society?

I guess it did somehow in the past and it still is, but I see it more as a trendsetter and it has the power to bring people together, to create communities, and with that, I can confidently say that it does. Pop culture especially comes from music and movies, I can bond with a stranger in the streets about my Harry Potter house anytime if you know what I mean by that. My personal goal is not necessarily to change society, I want to spread my messages and tell everyone they are not alone in this ride. To create a community. This world is very individualistic, it’s a solo ride, and if people put some effort into knowing someone better, they would know they have so much in common with so many individuals.

-What would you change in the world?

So many things, especially the way women are still treated nowadays. We are not owners of our bodies, we still don’t have the same power that men have. I’m not someone who hates men, I just want equality. I still see it on some sets, if I’m in a powerful position, it’s still hard to be respected and seen as an authority and I’m doing my best to create a name for myself and create a brand to identify with. I’m glad so many women are stepping in to be directors, cinematographers, and producers.. Something is changing and I hope for the best. My goal for the future is to also give an opportunity to young filmmakers, young people that love the craft and want to be part of it.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I hope for more emotions, and fewer visual effects, don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie with visual effects. I see less plot and more attention for films to be pretty. I am afraid cinema will become vertical one day, which would be cool to see on few occasions, for special projects and events designed for that, but I hope it won’t become the new definite way to make movies, we worked so much to evolve from that little square to panoramic shots.