We interviewed Francesca Lancini, a twenty-two year old actress of stage and screen and also a university student and model. Francesca was the mistress-of-ceremonies for the past three editions of the Montale Award. In the last edition she recited Michael Longley's beautiful poem,"Ceasefire".

1) Why did you become an actress?

My love for acting comes from a desire to express myself through many guises, and from my keen observation of everything that surrounds me and enriches my life. It primarily comes from a profound desire to create something that truly mine. Acting gives me the great privilege of living and dying many times, and it always reveals something of my personal growth.

2) Do you have a favorite role?

I would like to interpret roles that break out of typical stereotypes dictated by my physical appearance and that go beyond the image of a good girl with futile sentimental problems. I prefer complex plots, characters that are always hiding something from the audience, that have an interesting psychological profile, and scripts that give the actor the freedom to be creative.

3) What do you think about the cultural situation in your hometown, Brescia?

Brescia is certainly a city with many cultural events: works of art by Monet and others of the same caliber were shown recently in an exhibit, and the city is full of historical monuments. It is a beautiful city with a provincial mentality.

4) Do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

I think an actor must have a complete and ever-expanding vision of the world.
Art, music, and poetry help satisfy my aesthetic and human needs, and they also enrich each character I interpret. I am familiar with melancholy because Shakespeare created Hamlet, and I love the shimmering, brilliant sunlight because I have seen the works of Monet and Pissarro. I read a lot and everything, from Deaver and Connelly's exciting mysteries to Busi's desecrating irony. I like mordant classics such as Wilde's, the candor of Baricco and Hesse, and the genius of Kafka and Garcia Marquez, the philosophers Fromm and Plato, and of course, all the theatrical works of Moliére, Prandello, Shakespeare and Goethe.

5) Do you have favorite poets?

I have been fascinated by Lebanese poet, writer and artist Kahlil Gibran since I was a child. I love the humility and purity of Brodskij, the sublime silence that Ungaretti leaves with his reader, and Neruda's infinite sweetness. Reading a Shakespeare sonnet is like admiring a painting by De Nittis: it takes your breath away.

6) Do you think foreign poetry should be translated?

Foreign poetry definitely must be translated. I think anyone possessing a literary patrimony wants to share it with the world.

7) Do you write poetry? Do you like to write in general?

I've been writing since I was a child: poetry, aphorisms, entire pages. Writing is a primary need. The pen often glides across the paper, freed from rationality.

8) It is said there are 15 million potential poets in Italy. And yet, save for Alda Merini, statistics show that no poet in Italy is able to sell more than two thousand copies of a book. What do you think is the reason for this?

No one doubts the quality of contemporary poets as much as efforts made to encourage Italians to read more. Recent ISTAT results show that Italians are more a population of writers than readers, and this puzzles me.

9) You are also a stage actress. What difference is there between theater, the cinema and television?

Italian TV, which is full of reality shows with poorly writing scripts, is terrible: everything is a triumph of banality and personality ruined by a craving for success. Theater and the cinema are totally different. Theater creates magic around me: as a spectator, I feel the energy that fills the space. As a stage artist, I find that acting - along with each gesture and movement - is more accentuated.
Theater is pure improvisation. The cinema creates magic within me: it is truth. It tells a story about life and lets us dream.

10) Do you think that fashion and culture can get along?

Fashion and culture both share the power of creativity. Both describe aspects of life in which we are protagonists and we tell a story to the world.

11) What are your future projects?

My future projects include the cinema and theater. I plan to improve my talent by working and studying with people who are professionally and personally valid. I'll also be looking for happiness around every corner.

Interview by Joe Verni