Francesca Tasini, is an Italian actress and screenwriter from Pieve di Cento (BO). After graduating in educational sciences at the University of Bologna she spent three years in Berlin studying art of miming and clowning. Right after she continued her theatre studies at the Galante Garrone academy (Italy) and at the Dimitri theatre academy in Switzerland. Other studies followed with John Strasberg, Jordan Bayne, Pierre Byland, Philippe Gaulier , Dimitri clown, sabino Civilleri , Emanuela Lo scicco, Nicole Kerhberger, She speaks italian, english, french, and german. Her work as an actress includes several theatre pieces with Juan Diego Puerta Lopez, Jan Lawers, teatro Magro, Philippe Minella, Brian Reinholds and other directors. She played in several movies, which include “ The last stop” with Claudia Cardinale, “Process to Mata Hari" with John Savage , “The Audience” (short film). She worked for German Tv and studied screenwriting in Berlin. In 2015 she moved to Berlin where she runs a cultural open art space together with her partner.
She is now developing her first series project. She is also teaching theatre and clown to teenagers and adults.
At the moment she is represented by Feinschliff Agentur in Berlin.
Tell us about your background. How did you become an actor, screenwriter and filmmaker?
When I was a child, I always dreamed of growing up to make a huge difference in the world. As a young girl, I looked up to Charlie Chaplin. Later on, my hero was David Bowie.
I had a really hard time in high school. I was bullied, and I suffered a lot because of this. When I started to do theater, it totally changed my life. It was one of the only reasons I ever went to school. The other reason was to hang out with my best friend Tatiana, who is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. Although she is physically impaired due to a congenital anomaly, she has always integrated perfectly into her environment. We attended university together and remain close friends to this day. I love diversity. I have always been attracted by people who are not afraid to be different.
I have studied acting and theatre, including physical theatre. I trained as a clown, not so much because I wanted to make people laugh, but because clowning lets me express my true self. There is great honesty in it. I pursued acting and theatre and have also worked as an actor in film and television. I am a pedagogist and have worked with people of all ages, including disabled people, to develop their creativity.
About five years ago, I began writing. After the death of my grandfather, I wrote a movie screenplay inspired by the events of his life and by my relationship with him. Writing offers me the freedom and autonomy I couldn’t have as an actress. I realized I don’t want to wait for someone to cast me in a role, I want to be the one who creates the characters and calls the shots. I wanted to put my creativity out there in the universe. I studied screenwriting here in Berlin, the city in which I live. For the time being, that is. I’m a nomad at heart. I easily become restless, and then I yearn for change. I have lived in different cities and my life feels like a story.
After finishing the movie screenplay, I wrote three TV series projects. As one of these projects began to find its way into development, I realized that I want to become a series creator. In order to accomplish this, I would need to acquire experience in directing as well, so I wrote and directed a short film. I had never planned to become a director. I have always been afraid of directing actors. As an actor myself, I know how difficult it can be. But when I tried my hand at directing, I fell head over heels in love with it.
Being on the other side of the lens is completely magical for me. When I work with an actor who is willing to share everything with me, it’s a divine experience.
What were some of the challenges you have faced in making your films?
The biggest challenges I faced when shooting my short film had to do with economic and time constraints. We overcame these challenges through a combination of friendship, luck, and hard work.
Five or six days before we started shooting the short film, we were didn’t have the budget to cover all of the camera equipment we needed. A producer I knew happened to get in touch with me. He was curious about the film and wanted to look at the script. After reading it, he gave me the money I needed for the extra equipment. It was a sort of miracle.
Before starting to shoot, we didn’t know how it would be, but everything was fine. It was hard to schedule everything into a few days, so we shot a lot of hours every day. My producers, Anie Gombos and Mauro Paglialonga, and my co-producer, Luigi de Vecchi, made it all possible. I was so fortunate to work with the talented cinematographer Fabian Kimoto. The cast was amazing. I am grateful to have worked with Christina Rosamilia, Nicole Kehrberger (who was also a teacher of mine), Klaus Salminen, Giovanni Morassutti, and Tommaso Ragno. It was an honor to discover two young actors, Florenz Hardt and Sophie Nobile. My assistant, Francesco Piotti, helped me a lot. I am also thankful to Giulio Baraldi and Amelia Masetti, who helped me to make this happen. Malika Ayane and Chris Costa contributed the music. This project would be not have been possible without all the team. Each of these individuals contributed something special.
When you’re shooting a film, it’s like a puzzle. You slowly start to see this image in your mind, and it becomes gradually clearer.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I love comedy-drama, especially when the comedy is somewhat dark, because I think this resembles life—my life, in particular. My stories tend to have female characters in the foreground. I would be interested in writing and directing thrillers, too. I am not as focused on the notion of genre as I am on the stories I want to tell.
Who are your biggest influences?
My cinematic influences include: Agnès Varda, Sally Potter, Olivia Wilde, Sophia Coppola, Lulu Wang, David Lynch, Pedro Almodóvar, Abdellatif Kechiche, Lina Wertmüller, the Dardenne Brothers, and Clint Eastwood. Writers, screenwriters and playwrights I love include David Sedaris, Ottessa Moshfegh, Nora Ephron, David Mamet, Neil Simon, and Laurie Nuun.
Which films have inspired you?
I have been inspired by so many films. My favorites include The Bridges of Madison County, Carlito's Way, Blade Runner, Bicycle Thieves, Festen, Faces Places, Blow-Up, Amores Perros, Mystic River, Gran Torino, and All About My Mother.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I don’t have one favorite movie; I’m influenced by so many movies and television series. I love Pulp Fiction, Labyrinth, Out of Africa, Silence of the Lambs, Lost in Translation, All About My Mother, Some Like It Hot, When Harry Met Sally, E.T., Gladiator, and Blue Is The Warmest Color. I am greatly inspired by some of the movies I have seen during my adolescence, including Back to the Future and Willow. I watch movies of all genres, because I can learn from all of them.
I am really into series right now. Twin Peaks had an enormous influence on me—it actually changed my perspective on life. Other series I can recommend are The Affair, Stranger Things, and Once Upon A Time. Sex Education is a real masterpiece.