Anna

In the winter of 1972, actor and filmmaker Massimo Sarchielli meets Anna, who’s both homeless and very pregnant, hanging around with the hippies in Piazza Navona in Rome. He takes her in, partly because he feels sorry for her, but he has another reason as well: he asks his friend Alberto Grifi to help document her story.

Grifi and Sarchielli filmed in cinéma verité style, including some re-enacted scenes. They used one of the first open reel video cameras in Italy, which gave them the freedom to film long, drawn-out scenes and conversations. These discussions on topics such as Marxism, colonialism, and anarchism provide a striking picture of a deeply divided country.

The portrayal of Anna (who is never given a surname) also raises questions about the involvement of the makers with their vulnerable protagonist. Especially the shower scene in which Sarchielli helps her get rid of her lice is uncomfortable, to say the least.

Grifi developed a method of transferring the video to 16mm film. This 16mm print was restored in 2011 by the Cineteca Nazionale and Cineteca di Bologna.