Lala, Samanta and Zaga are the same age, they share the same desires and dreams. They are three new Italian citizens, Italy does not recognize them because their parents were born elsewhere. Their stories take shape, and intertwine, in the three layers of a collective tale about the search of citizenship for one – and many – undocumented teenagers. Lala crosses the story of Samantha, the non-professional actress who plays her role, and that of Zaga, the real girl who inspired this film. In a fluid state between fiction and reality, Lala embarks on a collective journey in search of the identity of a generation with denied rights. Lala premiered at the latest Bellaria Film Festival, where it won the MyMovies Award.
“Lala’s story is inspired by the life of Zaga, a very young girl I met ten years ago in a Rome camp … I started working on the story with a group of non-professional actors, who challenged the script, changed it, added their own stories and co-created the film space with me.” (L. Fales)
Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Ludovica Fales
Fotografia / Photography: Valentina Summa
Montaggio / Editing: Adelina Bichis, Asher Tlalim
Musica / Music: Bruno Franceschini
Suono / Sound: Mikaël Barre
Scenografia / Art Director: Brunella De Cola
Costumi / Costume Designer: Sara Marcucci, Marco Piemontese
Interpreti / Cast: Samanta Paunković, Zaga Jovanović, Ivana Nikolić, Rašid Nikolić, Fiorello Miguel Lebbiati, Paola Michelini
Produzione / Produced by: Transmedia
Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Staragara
Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Fondo Audiovisivo del FVG, MiC – DG Cinema e Audiovisivo, FVG Film Commission, Regione Lazio, Slovenian Film Centre
Distribuzione internazionale, distribuzione per l’Italia / World Sales, Distributed in Italy by: Arch Film
Ludovica Fales
Film director and screenwriter, Ludovica Fales was born in 1981 in Rome: after studying theoretical philosophy in Rome and cultural anthropology in Berlin, Ludovica obtained an MA in documentary filmmaking in London in 2011 and a PhD in audiovisual studies in 2015. Her documentary films have been screened at many international festivals. Ludovica is a lecturer in Experimental cinema and new media in London and Paris and is currently writing her new film.
Selected filmography
2010 Il Padrone di Casa cm / sf 2011 Letters from Palestine doc. 2012 The Real Social Network doc. 2016 Fear and Desire doc. 2021 The Tales of the Black Saint doc. 2023 Lala doc.; Premi / Awards: Bellaria FF – Premio MyMovies / MyMovies Award
