Staying with her mother after the fire, Sofia dreams of freedom. But the smell of smoke doesn't leave..
Diploma project (2020) by Nikita Merlini
Fiction / 24 min / Mention Very good
Synopsis
After their house burns down, 18-year-old Sofia and her mother Carla have to live together in a small room at « The Little Swallow Hotel ». Sofia explores the building and meets new inspiring people. A thousand opportunities seem to open up for her. Carla, on the other hand, has to get used to the idea of her daughter leaving. In this closed-door environment, mother and daughter try to find a new balance in their relationship.
Comment
A mother and her daughter in a hotel room, a few meters from what was their house... gone up in smoke, taking their common past with them.
The film, like a parenthesis in this place of transit that is "La Rondinella", where strangers meet and make memories, spaces of intimacy, a place where Sofia and her mother seek to rebuild, with the fragility and awkwardness that characterize the love that binds a daughter to her mother.
Nikita invests the enclosed space by the character, Sofia, formidably interpreted by Elena Stoll, who bewitches us by her presence, her face at the same time babyish and feminine, and with whom Nikita continues his collaboration. Sofia draws us into her boredom, her expectations, her encounters, her solitary wanderings, but above all into her impulse for life and renewal. For Rondinella is also the portrait of this youth, full of dreams and obstacles.
Nikita Merlini directs a sensitive, delicate, hypnotic film that seizes time. This vulnerable time. The time of childhood. The time of emancipation. The time of suffocating, yet unfailing love.
Elsa Amiel / Director
1/6
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Natacha Lesueur
Off-camera By exploring what lies outside the frame, students develop a sensitive and reflective approach to audiovisual creation. Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to reflect on the political and formal issues surrounding the moving image, as well as the relationship between the visible and the invisible.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Natacha Lesueur
“What is clearly conceived can be clearly expressed, and the words to say it come easily.” Nicholas Boileau, *L’art poétique*. As students embark on their final year of study at ECAL, with their interests and methods taking shape, this final project offers an opportunity to challenge their own rules, established practices and influences, to refuse to settle for the status quo and to take risks.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Charlotte Krieger
Unseen This course introduces students to the creation of a seven-image series built around the theme Unseen. They will learn to combine set design, characters, and lighting to produce strong, coherent staged images. Through a practical and technical approach, the course develops their ability to conceive and manage a complete photographic project, direct models, work with natural and artificial light, and collaborate under conditions similar to professional editorial or commercial shoots. Students will refine their photographic vision while preparing for the creative and technical demands of the industry.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Julien Bourdeille
Événement Lumineux Through an in-depth exploration of light as a narrative and sensory medium, first-year students created a short film on the theme “Luminous Event.” This project allows them to learn how to manage a complete audiovisual project while mastering the tools of filming, framing, and camera movement.
BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN
with Harry Bloch
Websites developed over the course of a semester based on books chosen by students, which they adapted into web experiences as part of Harry Bloch's Screen Design course, second year of the Bachelor's degree in Visual Communication.