There are stories that come, you don't need to look for them. You just have to welcome them and make them universal.
Thus was born “Un talento ingombrante”, a 30-minute documentary that tells the life of Silvana Secchi, a Sardinian artist and a woman marked by the weight of the patriarchy and the expectations imposed by society, the work of Melanja Palitta, a visual storyteller based in Amsterdam but with roots in Olbia. Her experience in the world of images comes from movement: from dance to filmmaking, she has transformed visual language into a tool capable of blending emotion, narration and memory. Like the intimate and profound portrait of her aunt Silvana.
"I had pressed "rec" by mistake - says the director - the context in which the interview was filmed was completely informal. I only needed her voice, for a short video. And instead a story came out that left me speechless. When she passed away, sharing it became a responsibility. Because I believe that her message is profoundly contemporary".
The work will be presented at the Archivio Mario Cervo, Thursday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. Artist and woman, Silvana Secchi has known pain, guilt and sacrifice, but she has also gone through a process of transformation. Her story invites us to reflect on how we have been educated to communicate, love and coexist, and on how much all this continues to influence our lives.
"Her story, although rooted in another time, speaks forcefully to the present: it reveals a cultural approach that, under the mask of protection, ends up distorting the understanding and expression of emotions - continues the filmmaker - Her voice, intertwined with archive images and the landscapes of Sardinia, guides us on a journey that is memory and awakening. Between renunciations, rebellions and a sense of guilt that digs deep, Silvana has known the shadow of life. But it is precisely there, in the thickest darkness, that something has changed".
The documentary was built around a single interview. The making lasted four years and required three different versions of the editing. The main challenge was the narration.
"I knew my family's past, but those who see the film don't. I didn't want to explain, but let it emerge" - explains the director. The target audience is clear. "It is aimed at those who feel the weight of imposed roles, those who have learned to stay silent so as not to disturb, those who confuse love with dependence and those who carry on their shoulders emotional legacies passed down from generation to generation - says Palitta - It is a film that speaks to women who grew up with the idea that welcoming was their only destiny and to men who were taught that feeling is a weakness. It is a reflection that can also be valuable for those who work in the educational or therapeutic field, helping to create a new emotional grammar, capable of giving voice to feelings that are often misunderstood or censored"».
The documentary has already embarked on a successful path; presented nationally and internationally in several festivals, it can already celebrate its selection at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival and an award at the Madonie Film Festival. At the moment, the documentary is awaiting further selections. «With the screening in Olbia, Silvana's hometown, I hope to work hard on raising awareness of the message - she concludes - I invited some associations for women's rights, because I believe that this theme still has a long way to go. Silvana's desire, which has also become mine, is to take this message as far as possible, with particular attention to schools, because change comes from education». Melanja Palitta founded her video company in 2008, transforming her passion into a profession. Since then, she has worked as a videomaker and video editor for dance companies, theater groups, fashion brands and retail companies, with constant attention to the quality of visual narration and the expressiveness of movement.
