Directed by: Claudia Brignone
Country: Italy
Category: Doc/Social issue/Women
Production: Amarena Film; Altara Films with Rai Cinema
Supported by: Film commission Regione Campania ( FCRC)
POC 2014-2020 Progetto Nuove Strategie per il Cinema in Campania 2.
MFN Milano Film Network
Special thanks to: Associazione PremioGreenCare,
Euphorbia-Cultura del Paesaggio,
Museum and Real Bosco di Capodimonte
Distributed by: Zalab
Festival and Awards:
Torino Film Festival _ Special Jury Award
Trieste Film Festival-Corso Salani
Bolzano Film Festival
SoleLuna Festival_Special mention and Students Award Best Feature Film
A group of women meet once a week with Teresa, a midwife, an experienced and revolutionary woman, who guides and supports them during pregnancy. They discuss the birth of the child they are carrying in their wombs and the birth of themselves as new mothers.
“Waiting Time” is a reflection on birth, on what it means to be a parent today, and on the path that turns a woman into a mother and the psychological and cultural aspects of this journey.The film travels into the lives of these women who come together in a circle and remain connected, as creating a community becomes a genuine need.
Director's biography
Claudia Brignone has been working in the documentary field and fiction features since 2010, covering several roles such as assistant director, researcher etc. In 2014 she made his first feature-length documentary ‘La Malattia del Desiderio’ (57’) and several short films ‘L’Altalena’ (12’), the final work of the FilmAp training project ‘I Sogni Son Desideri’ (11’)commissioned by Corriere della Sera; ‘The Butterfly Corridor’ (13’) winner of the Cineperiferie competition. In 2019, her latest film ‘La Villa’ (61’) premiered at the Rome Film Festival- Alice nella città. “Tempo d’Attesa” is her third documentary. She also served as a tutor at the Procida Film Atelier directed by L.Di Costanzo which led to the creation of the film “ Procida.” This fil m was edited in collaboration with Lea Dicursi and presented out of competition at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival, where it received a special mention for the Ricola Prize 2023.
Director's statement
When I discovered I was pregnant, it felt as if everyone had an opinion and a truth about the right things to do. I found myself directed down a path that had been decided by others for me, based on what appeared to be customs and standardized practices, as well as the choices made by the other women in my family. I wondered if there could be another, more personal way to navigate the complete upheaval I was experiencing. It was from this “search” of mine that this film was born. I contacted a midwife, Teresa De Pascale, who scheduled a meeting with me at Bosco di Capodimonte, where she held weekly prenatal meetings. I took some photos: a circle of pregnant women under a magnolia tree, with an older woman among them, listening and sharing her experiences. Only later I realized that this way of building a community was a revolutionary act and a mission for Teresa. Giving birth was the most incredible experience of my life, and participating in these meetings allowed me to experience pregnancy and childbirth as an opportunity for personal growth. Gradually, my fear transformed into awareness and a great strength that was invaluable in facing the transformation I was going through.
Credits
Original title: Tempo d’attesa
Director & DOP: Claudia Brignone
Producer: Raffaella Pontarelli
Editors: Lea Dicursi
Sound Design/Sound Mix: Marco Saitta
Color grading: Andrea Facchini
Original soundtrack: Valerio C. Faggioni,
Roberta D’Angelo