«O Mio Babbino Caro» by Marco Di Gerlando

In Carla’s gray everyday life, there is a crack through which a dazzling light passes: it is her passion for ballet.
The protagonist of O MY DEAR BABY is a teenager sharing a dull and demeaning home life with her father. One day, she glimpses a real chance to get closer to her dream: a company is holding an audition in her town for a performance based on Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. A life-changing fork in the road emerges from this opportunity, and Carla is forced to make a difficult decision.

O MIO BABBINO CARO, directed by Marco Di Gerlando and produced by Zuccherarte, achieves the ambitious goal of recounting fragility and strength through the journey of a young woman searching for a way to express herself and escape with a short film that combines abrasive realism and delicacy.
The house in which Carla lives with her father is cramped for her, so much so that to rehearse her choreography, she takes refuge in the monumental cemetery of her city, in a scene in the film that is as lyrical as it is tragic, in which the solemnity of the place is juxtaposed with the vital expression of the protagonist.
The notes of the famous aria that gives the opera its title, poignant and hopeful at the same time, underscore the intensity and irrevocability of Carla’s choice.

Young actress Alessia Agresta offers a remarkable interpretation of Carla, highlighting her talent and vulnerability in equal measure, and effectively conveys the inner struggle and weight of the choices Carla faces.

With its compelling performances, evocative soundtrack, and skillful direction, this short film moves audiences and offers a testament to the power of self-expression and how finding the courage to face one’s fears is necessary to break free from any chains.