Alice Rohrwacher (Italian: [aˈliːtʃe rorˈvaːker], German: [ˈʁoːɐ̯vaxɐ]; born 29 December 1981) is an Italian film director, editor and screenwriter. She made her directorial debut with Heavenly Body (2011). She has since directed notable films such as The Wonders (2014), winner of the Grand Prix, Happy as Lazzaro (2018), which received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, and La chimera (2023). Her short Le pupille (2022) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.[1]

Alice Rohrwacher
Alice Rohrwacher at Lisbon Film Festival (2019)
Born (1981-12-29) 29 December 1981 (age 42)
Alma materUniversity of Turin
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, editor
Years active2005–present
RelativesAlba Rohrwacher (sister)

Early life

edit

Rohrwacher was born in Fiesole, in Tuscany, to an Italian mother and German father.[2] She spent her youth in the village of Castel Giorgio, Umbria, where her mother was born and her father Reinhard worked as a beekeeper. She is the younger sister of the Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher.[3] She studied Classics at the University of Turin, then specialized in screenwriting at the Holden School in Turin.[3]

Career

edit

Her first experience in filmmaking was in 2006, when directing a part of the Italian documentary Checosamanca.

In 2011, she directed her first feature film, Heavenly Body, which premiered at the Directors' Fortnight during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim.[4][5]

Her second feature film, The Wonders, won the Grand Prix at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[6] Also in 2014, Rohrwacher was appointed the President of the International Jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

She announced filming of her third film Lazzaro Felice in 2017 with the film starring Sergi López and Rohrwacher's sister Alba Rohrwacher.[7] The film premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for Best Screenplay. It was released by Netflix in December of that year.

In June 2018, Rohrwacher was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[8]

Rohrwacher was invited to serve on the jury at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[9] In 2023, she was nominated alongside Alfonso Cuarón for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for their short Le pupille (2022), eventually losing to An Irish Goodbye.[1] Her film La chimera (2023), starring Josh O'Connor and Isabella Rossellini premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival where it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or.[10]

In 2024, Rohrwacher co-directed with JR the short film An Urban Allegory, which will make its world premiere out of competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.[11]

Style

edit

Bong Joon-ho described her work as "a mix of magic realism and neorealism, innocent characters butting up against corrupt behemoths".[12]

Favorite films

edit

In 2022, Rohrwacher listed her 10 favorite films in a Sight & Sound poll.[13]

Filmography

edit

As filmmaker

edit
Year Title Director Screenwriter Notes
2006 Checosamanca Yes No Documentary film
2011 Heavenly Body Yes Yes Feature film
2014 The Wonders Yes Yes Feature film
2014 9x10 novanta Yes Yes Documentary film (segment: "Una canzone")
2015 De Djess Yes Yes Short film
2018 Happy as Lazzaro Yes Yes Feature film
2021 Futura Yes No Documentary film
2022 Le pupille Yes Yes Short film
2023 La chimera Yes Yes Feature film
2024 An Urban Allegory Yes Short film. Co-directed with JR.

Other work

edit
Year Title Director Screenwriter Cinematographer Editor Notes
2005 Un piccolo spettacolo No Yes Yes Yes Documentary film
2008 Boygo No No No Yes Short film
Tradurre No No No Yes Documentary film
2009 In tempo, ma rubato No No No Yes Documentary film
Residuo fisso No No Yes Yes Documentary short
2020 My Brilliant Friend Yes No No No HBO series; 2 episodes
Ad una mela Yes No No No Trailer for the Vienna International Film Festival

Accolades

edit
Award Year Category Work Result Ref.
Academy Awards 2022 Best Live Action Short Film Le pupille Nominated [1]
Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2014 Black Pearl Award The Wonders Won [14]
Cannes Film Festival 2011 Caméra d'Or Heavenly Body Nominated [15]
2014 Grand Prix The Wonders Won [16]
2018 Best Screenplay Happy as Lazzaro Won [17]
2021 L'Œil d'or Futura Nominated [18]
2023 Palme d'Or La chimera Nominated [19]
Chicago International Film Festival 2018 Gold Hugo Happy as Lazzaro Won [20]
David di Donatello 2011 Best New Director Heavenly Body Nominated [21]
2019 Best Film Happy as Lazzaro Nominated
Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
2022 Best Documentary Futura Nominated
2024 Best Film La chimera Nominated
Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Nominated
European Film Awards 2018 European Film Happy as Lazzaro Nominated [22]
European Director Nominated
European Screenwriter Nominated
European University Film Award Won [23]
Filmfest München 2014 CineVision Award The Wonders Won [24]
Gothenburg Film Festival 2012 Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award Heavenly Body Won [25]
Independent Spirit Awards 2019 Best International Film Happy as Lazzaro Nominated [26]
Nastro d'Argento 2011 Best New Director Heavenly Body Won [27]
2023 Nastro d’Argento speciale Le pupille Won [28]
Telluride Film Festival 2023 Silver Medallion Won [29]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "95th Oscars: See the Full List of Winners Here". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Rassegna stampa Alba Rohrwacher". Mymovies.it. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b Fulvia Caprara (22 April 2011). "Rohrwacher, sorelle d'arte che non-si incontrano mai". La Stampa. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  4. ^ Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 154. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  5. ^ "The moon in May". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  6. ^ "Awards 2014 : Competition". Cannes. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  7. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (7 August 2017). "Italy's Alice Rohrwacher Shooting 'Lazzaro Felice,' Match Factory Takes World Sales". Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  8. ^ "ACADEMY INVITES 928 TO MEMBERSHIP". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  9. ^ Oldham, Stuart (29 April 2019). "Cannes Announces 2019 Jury Members Including Elle Fanning and Yorgos Lanthimos". Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  10. ^ Erbland, Kate (13 April 2023). "Cannes Breaks Its Own Record for Female Filmmakers in Competition (Again)". IndieWire. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  11. ^ Roxborough, Scott (23 July 2024). "'Joker 2,' 'Maria,' 'Wolfs' in Venice Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter.
  12. ^ Joon-ho, Bong (25 February 2020). "Bong Joon Ho's 20 upcoming directors for the 2020s". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Alice Rohrwacher names the 10 greatest films of all time". Far Out. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  14. ^ Ritman, Alex (31 October 2014). "'Leviathan' Claims Top Award at Abu Dhabi Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Around the selection 2011 : Caméra d'or". Festival de Cannes. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  16. ^ "All the 67th Festival de Cannes Awards". Festival de Cannes. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  17. ^ "71st Festival de Cannes Awards". Festival de Cannes. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Les documentaires 2021 à Cannes". Scam : Société civile des auteurs multimédia (in French). 1 July 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  19. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2023". Festival de Cannes. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Awards Announced for 54th Chicago International Film Festival". Cinema Chicago. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Alice ROHRWACHER". Accademia del Cinema Italiano - Premi David di Donatello. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  22. ^ Roxborough, Scott (11 November 2018). "'Cold War' Leads European Film Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  23. ^ "HAPPY AS LAZZARO Wins European University Film Award (EUFA)". European Film Awards. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  24. ^ "CineVision Award". FILMFEST MÜNCHEN. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  25. ^ Simon, Alissa (5 February 2012). "'Orheim' nabs Dragon at Gothenburg". Variety. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  26. ^ Warren, Matt (16 November 2018). "These Are Your 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees!". Film Independent. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  27. ^ "2011". Nastri d'Argento (in Italian). Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  28. ^ "CORTI d'ARGENTO 2023 | LA SELEZIONE UFFICIALE, I TITOLI FINALISTI e IL NASTRO SPECIALE AD ALICE ROHRWACHER". Nastri d'Argento (in Italian). 24 April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  29. ^ "2023 Telluride Film Festival Lineup Includes World Premieres From Emerald Fennell, Alexander Payne". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2024.

Further reading

edit
  • Nicholas Albanese, 'Bodies in space: Emplacement in Alice Rohrwacher's Corpo celeste', in The Italianist, 37:2 (2017), pp. 228-242.
  • Silvia Angeli, 'From the margins: Alice Rohrwacher's liminal adolescents', in Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies, 8:3 (2019), pp. 339-356.
  • Laura Di Bianco, 'Ecocinema Ars et Praxis: Alice Rohrwacher's Lazzaro felice', in The Italianist, 40:2 (2020), pp. 151-164.
  • Roberto Interdonato, 'A different spirituality: On Lazzaro's symbolic potency in Alice Rohrwacher's Happy as Lazzaro', in Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies, 11:1 (2023), pp. 145-161.
edit