A film shot entirely in Ferrara, with the collaboration of several people from Ferrara. Ferraresi of the present, but above all of the past. The protagonist, in fact, played by Erica Piccotti, is a young musician who plays a cello produced in 1925 by the Ferrarese luthier Ettore Soffritti, considered one of the most important and influential cello makers of the early twentieth century. Erica Piccotti, in reality, is not an actress: she is a cellist. Born in 1999 in Rome, she is considered one of the most important and talented cellists on an international level. The film in question, by Alessandra Pescetta, is ‘100 Preludes’. Shot in 2022, it has already received, at the 13th OtherMovie Lugano Film Festival 2024, the Special Mention in the section ‘The International Competition for Feature Film’, was produced by Revok in collaboration with Rai Cinema, with the contribution of the Mic and the support of the Emilia-Romagna Film Commission. On October 25th, instead, it will be screened at the Ferrara Film Festival.
Erica Piccotti, how did your involvement in the film come about? “When I was only 17, director Alessandra Pescetta came to introduce herself at the end of one of my concerts, telling me she wanted to make a film about the story of a cellist. Alessandra wanted the protagonist to be a real musician and asked me if I was interested in acting. The idea intrigued me from the beginning.”
Her talent as a musician is undisputed. Do you also like being an actress?
“With music I feel I know the job well enough, I’ve been navigating these waters for many years. This allows me to be self-critical in a constructive way. With acting it’s different. Filming ‘100 Preludes’ was a wonderful experience. Seeing myself on the screen is a whole other ball game… Not having much experience in this field, I felt very exposed and not very ‘in control’. But despite this I’m very satisfied with the final result”.
How did the city of Ferrara welcome you? Did you find it structured to accommodate a cast?
“The city of Ferrara, during the filming of the film, gave us everything we needed. Both the enchanting historic center and Villa Mensa, on the outskirts of the city, gave the film the right atmosphere.”
What does it mean for a young cellist to play a cello from 1925, made by the Ferrara luthier Ettore Soffritti? Does Ettore Soffritti study in conservatories?
“We agree that Ettore Soffritti is not a well-known name except among professionals. We have often heard of other famous luthiers of the past, including Stradivari, Amati, Guadagnini… Soffritti is not the first that comes to mind, but he certainly belongs to the Italian excellences in the field of luthiery”.
Francesco Franchella
