Carona confirms itself once again as a crossroads of talents and a hotbed of ideas for the world of screenwriting. Also this year, the suggestive Pantrova House opens its doors to three exceptional authors, ready to immerse themselves in the quiet of the Ticino landscape to give shape to their audiovisual projects. An initiative of great value, promoted by the City of Lugano in synergy with the main cultural institutions of the Canton, which underlines the importance of artistic residencies as a pillar for the development and growth of the film and creative writing industries.
The selection, the result of careful work by a jury composed of experts of the calibre of Mara Travella (Casa della Letteratura per la Svizzera italiana), Erik Bernasconi (Gruppo regista e scriptatori della Svizzera italiana) and Niccolò Castelli (Ticino Film Commission), has rewarded three innovative and bold female voices: Wendy Pillonel, Olivia Ginevra Calcaterra ed Elisa Baccolo. Their projects, diverse in genre and themes, promise to enrich the audiovisual landscape with deep narratives and original visions.
Stories that come to life: from adolescent turmoil to climate dystopias
Wendy Pillonel enchants with “Les Orages Magnétiques”, a delicate and powerful exploration of the passage to adulthood. Through the eyes of the teenager Mily, the author paints a vivid picture of family dynamics and the search for identity, with refined writing and a visual force that particularly impressed the jury. The project, which focuses on vulnerability as a transformative force, was selected for the residency dedicated to audiovisual works for young people, a constantly evolving sector of fundamental importance for the education of new generations.
“Everything You Imagined Me to Be” by Olivia Ginevra Calcaterra is an intimate and historical journey, a documentary that intertwines family memory with universal themes such as the loss of personal power, female mental health and witchcraft. The bold choice to explore the repression of female power, with a bridge between the witch hunt in Ticino and the mythical figure of Gang Gang Sarah, a Caribbean healer, has demonstrated the sensitivity and authorial courage of Calcaterra, originally from Carona.
Finally, with “Pelle”, Elisa Baccolo projects us into a dark and fascinating near future, marked by climate catastrophes and political tensions. The story of Nada, a climate activist linked to Tristan by a skin transplant, becomes a metaphor for the contradictions and lack of communication of our time. The jury recognized the conceptual and visual audacity of the project, which proposes a layered and original narrative universe, transforming dystopia into a tool for political and existential reflection.
From Artistic Residency to the Big Screen: Unique Opportunities for Winners
Le artistic residencies of Casa Pantrovà are not only an opportunity for writing, but also a springboard for the authors' careers. During their stay, the winners will have the opportunity to interact with the world of Ticino and international cinema. Elisa Baccolo, for example, will present her project "Pelle" to the jury of the Locarno Residency, a precious opportunity to access a year-long mentoring program with leading figures in the film industry. Wendy Pillonel, on the other hand, will have the opportunity to present “Les Orages Magnétiques” to youth film professionals during the next edition of the Castellinaria Young Film Festival.
As Roberto Badaracco, Deputy Mayor and Head of the Department of Culture, Sport and Events, underlined, the commitment of the City of Lugano and its partners in supporting independent cinema is an essential value: “The residencies at Casa Pantrovà are very close to my heart, there is no better way to enhance and inhabit this magnificent villa from the 1930s, wanted by a couple of writers. This guarantees the authors to be supported in the delicate phase of the genesis of a cinematographic work.”
The initiative, a joint project of the City of Lugano, the House of Literature for Italian Switzerland, the Ticino Film Commission and the Office for the Support of Culture of the Canton of Ticino, in partnership with Castellinaria, the Directors and Screenwriters Group and the Locarno Film Festival, confirms itself as a virtuous example of collaboration and a pillar for the future of audiovisual creation. An unmissable event for cultural operators and citizens will be the August meeting in Carona, an opportunity to share the experience of residents and strengthen the bond between the arts and the territory.
For more information on the residences and activities of Casa Pantrovà, you can consult the website of the City of Lugano and the partner institutions. artistic residencies represent a fundamental driving force for culture, offering precious spaces and times for the birth of new stories and the growth of emerging talents.
