Il canto di Alina wins the Premio Corso Salani 2025

Date

04 February 2025

Students from the Bachelor's Degree in Video Design and Sound Design were awarded at the 36th edition of the Trieste Film Festival

The short film Il canto di Alina won the prestigious award for Best Film in the Premio Corso Salani 2025 section. The recognition was presented on January 21 at the Cinema Ambasciatori in Trieste, during the 36th edition of the Trieste Film Festival. This award, which celebrates independent cinema, is promoted by the Associazione Corso Salani, whose mission is to spread and enhance the knowledge of cinematic and audiovisual works aligned with the inspiration that characterized Corso Salani’s own works.

The project, supported by the Francesco Morelli Foundation, was created through the collaboration of students from the Bachelor's Degree in Video Design and Sound Design. The short film is the result of intense collective work, including that of the young directors Ilaria Braccialini, with a background in theater, and Federica Oriente, who is passionate about painting and photography. The two directors are co-founders of Oxymoro Creative Studio and worked closely with Giulia Destro, Denis Shalaginov, Luca Sirtori, and Daniele Talenti. The film was conceived as a final thesis, aiming to tackle a delicate and timely issue like sexual exploitation, approached with great empathy and strength.

Il canto di Alina tells the physical and emotional journey of two characters who find themselves fighting against a shared fate marked by life's hardships: a taxi driver and a young girl escaping from a seemingly predestined reality. The story begins with two Moldovan girls, Alina and Johana, who are united by a strong bond of friendship. Seeking a better future, they attempt to leave their country but become victims of prostitution. While Alina succumbs to this harsh reality, Johana rebels and manages to escape the trafficking ring. On the run towards Austria, she takes Lorenzo, a Friulian taxi driver, hostage, and together they embark on a journey that will lead them to evolve and confront their fears, perhaps always destined to meet.

The short film addresses powerful and dramatic themes, including prostitution, immigration, abuse, gender violence, and rebellion. The jury, composed of Luca Mosso, Barbara Sorrentini, and Paolo Vidali, awarded Il canto di Alina "for its ability to bring to life a story of great relevance, enhancing a narrative with a strong female sensitivity, capable of telling with empathy the desperate search for a future by a character."

The short film Il canto di Alina will be released in Italian theaters next spring, distributed by the independent Milanese label Lo Scrittoio.