by Donatella Di Cicco
Italia, 2019, 'IN PROGRESS'
Invisibile Film srl (Milano)
Silvia is a 53 years old teacher, she lives in Turin. Her
daughter, Sarah, is 23.
Silvia got divorced when Sarah was 4 and got custody of
the child. In her teens Sarah decided to move with her father.
This was a shocking event for Silvia, who at a that point
started writing letters to her daughter- a sort of a record of
her daughter’s changes, as much as her owns’. Silvia kept
writing these letters for 3 years, from 2007 to 2010, and decided
to gather them in a book to give to Sarah on her 18th
birthday. This book is the spine of the film-a journey about
the relationship between a mother and a daughter: a sort of
micro world, from the birth to the girlhood of Sarah.
A family separation could lead to broken relationships. What
is it left of a mother-daughter relationship, after a decisive
and painful separation? The details of such a unique and
extraordinary relationship emerge from this empty space.
Silvia introduces us to her story, while gradually- through
the story of her absence- Sarah's character begins to
emerge. Within this frame Silvia projects her feelings and
emotions. This is the story of two women that mirror each
other. The city of Turin becomes the background of the difficulty
of living so faraway, yet so close. Especially
nowadays, when family separations seem to leave no trace
behind.