Each April 25th Italians celebrate Liberation Day, a national Italian holiday commemorating the end of Nazi occupation during World War II and the victory of the Resistance in Italy. It is eerie to be still in lockdown for this year’s anniversary but perhaps it gives us a true taste of how our grandparents must have felt on that infamous day, April 25th, 1945.
Today, I wanted to share with you via YouTube an armchair voyage to my childhood. I believe more than where we come from, our heritage is what we watch, read and experience as children that makes us who we are as adults. I was lucky to have parents who were busy doing their thing as well as bringing me up. What I mean is that I spent a lot of days entertaining myself, with books, my Barbies and playing in our garden in the hills of Florence. In the back of their VW bug, on the road, or while they traveled for their art, I learned how to be alone and never feel lonely. I believe that, as miserably imprisoned as I feel during this Covid-19 crisis, those days prepared me for today. While I feel anxious about a future without travel or work, I do OK staying put and haven’t had a bored moment yet. Yet…
Paolo Villaggio in ‘Ciao Professore’
For films, I love Lina Wertmüller. She’s one of those women about whom I say, “I wanna be like her when I grow up.” Fearless and alone in a sea of men filmmakers, she dared and produced work that is still actual and wonderful today. My favorite of her films, and a bit off current to her style, is ‘Ciao Professore’ starring Paolo Villaggio as a teacher from Genoa who is called to substitute in a class on the outskirts of Naples. The kids in his group range from wiseass to criminal, with every kind in between. The film is based on the real life experience of Marcello D’Orta, himself a teacher who compiled a series of essays by his elementary school student into a best-selling book.
While ‘Ciao Professore’ is quite difficult to find through streaming services, there are ways to watch it online. But you didn’t hear that here.
To go along with this film about childhood and the importance of employing one’s imagination in our formative years, I revisit Gianni Rodari and Italo Calvino in this clip. Gianni Rodari was my literary companion all throughout my childhood and his quotes, his short poems “filastrocche” fill my thoughts when I need inspiration. Calvino’s work was what I explored as a young adult, in my teen years and from him I got the inspiration to write. He made things and places seem so alive in his words I always thought, “I want to do that!” Do pick up ‘Invisible Cities’ during this self isolation phase, since it’s as good a traveling in real life, only you don’t have to leave your home to do so.
Fashion wise, it’s my go-to brand Zadig & Voltaire for the sweater and Juicy Couture — vintage I mean that pink plastic necklace has to be 20 years old! — for jewelry.
I also went shopping at Sephora, online of course, and bough myself some foot and hand masks and have to say they work wonders! I may be shellshocked when I finally get out of isolation, but my hands and feet will look fabulous, dahling!
The perfume is from Ideo, a brand I came to know and love through Pitti Fragranze in Florence. The company is based in Beirut and their scents have great stories. My fave fragrance is their Roses de Grasse, but Le Fleur du Mexique is a tuberose scent and I’m going to try that one next! Their products are vegan and cruelty free and that has to be the future of this world if we don’t want a repeat of this virus. Following is a short video interview with Ideo Parfumers founder and creative nose Ludmila Bitar.
Anything else? Not that I can think of at the moment. Do remember to be kind to one another — even (especially?) on social media. It’s not the time to play up our bully side.