My Name Is Sami by Daniela Lucato

This short film is entitled “My Name is Sami.”

2020
Length: 3 minutes 45 seconds
HD Color
Director, Writer, Performer: Daniela Lucato
Cinematography: Jacopo Pantaleoni

Logline: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sami apparently calls a friend to tell her a tragic episode.

This video was made during lockdown and finished on April 25, 2020. It is a reflection on domestic violence, human rights, and the condition of women in all countries. I was inspired by a personal story: an old friend I met by chance after a long time told me about the abuse she was a victim of from her husband. She thought it was painful, but accepted it as a normal condition. I was shocked, and told her she needed to contact the police. I thought about the short talk we had for a long time. I really think the way she accepted this abuse, thinking it was normal, is a huge issue for many women. This is something that needs to be changed, and the topic is really important to me. “My Name Is Sami” is a short for a bigger project. I feel responsibility as a female artist to make people think about the issue by confronting them with this piece.

I don’t know if it will help to resolve the problem, but this is a start to fight it.

Daniela Lucato started playing theater in Padua, Italy, parallel to her studies at the university. After her degree in philosophy she moved to Rome, Wellington, and finally Berlin, where she works as an actress/filmmaker. The Birthday (2014), her first short film written/directed in Mandarin/English, has been officially selected by 25 international festivals, including Micgenero, Frameline, and ShanghaiPride, where the film was also nominated for the best cinematography. In 2015, she founded Connecting Fingers Company and produced the theater productions Connecting Fingers, The Wheel, and The Rebellious Body. Her recent films When I dance (2016) and The Wheel (2017) are screening in international film festivals. In 2018, she received Best International Short Film at DUAF/Tribeca Film Center. In 2019, she wrote and directed the experimental short film Vieni, and in 2020 the narrative short Mamma Dorme (Mommy’s Sleeping). She is currently at work on a script for her first feature film and a documentary film. You can find Daniela on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniela.lucato.3
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/daniela.lucato/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user9786757