GRETA BELLAMACINA
GRETA BELLAMACINA'S
LEADING CULTURE DESTINATIONS:
GRETA BELLAMACINA WAS BORN IN LONDON AND TRAINED AT RADA WHERE SHE PERFORMED A VARIETY OF LEAD STAGE ROLES, BEFORE GOING ON TO STUDY ENGLISH AT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON. IN 2014 SHE WAS SHORT-LISTED AS THE YOUNG POET LAUREATE OF LONDON. IN 2015 SHE EDITED ‘ON LOVE”, A SURVEY OF CONTEMPORARY BRITISH LOVE POETRY FROM TED HUGHES TO THE PRESENT. IN 2016 SHE PUBLISHED HER DEBUT COLLECTION ‘PERISHING TAME’ “A DAZZLING MEDITATION ON MOTHERHOOD, FEMALE IDENTITY, ENNUI AND LOVE” PUBLISHED BY NEW RIVER PRESS. HER BAFTA-NOMINATED DEBUT FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY ‘THE SAFE HOUSE: A DECLINE OF IDEAS’ HAD IT’S UK CINEMA RELEASE IN MAY 2016. THE FILM IS A LOVE LETTER TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND AN APPEAL AGAINST THEIR CLOSURE; IT FEATURES STEPHEN FRY, JOHN COOPER CLARKE, IRVINE WELSH AND OTHERS AND IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON CURZON HOME CINEMA.
IF THERE WAS ONE PIECE OF ART YOU COULD FEATURE IN, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO PLAY A PART IN ONE OF SOFIA COPPOLA'S EARLY MOVIES–I LOVE THE MELANCHOLY IN ALL OF HER WORK.
HOW WILL MUSEUMS IMPACT FUTURE CITIES?
I THINK MUSEUMS WILL ALWAYS BE IMPORTANT FOR CULTURAL GROWTH AND WILL PERHAPS BECOME EVEN MORE SACRED AND OUR LAST MEMORIES OF THE REAL WORLD AND OUR OWN DUALITY IN IT.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE EMERGING CULTURAL CITIES IN THE WORLD AND WHY?
THERE IS A BLUE CITY IN MOROCCO CALLED CHEFCHAOUEN, I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE A MOVIE THERE–THERE IS SO MUCH POETRY ON THE STREETS AND ANCIENTNESS IN THE AIR. THERE IS SOMETHING QUITE COMFORTING ABOUT LISTENING TO THE SOUND OF THE MOSQUE AT DAWN.
WHO DO YOU THINK ARE THE CULTURAL INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW?
ROBERT MONTGOMERY, LISA LUXX AND SCARLOTT CARLOS CLARKE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT TELLING THE TRUTH IN THEIR ART.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO AT THE MOMENT?
I HAVE BEEN PERFORMING A LOT LATELY FROM MY NEW POETRY COLLECTION PERSHING TAME PUBLISHED WITH NEW RIVER PRESS. I AM ALSO ABOUT TO DIRECT MY FIRST FICTION FEATURE FILM HURT BY PARADISE IN THE WINTER, WHICH IS ABOUT AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND BETWEEN TWO WOMEN WHO DO NOT FIT INTO SOCIETY. I AM ALSO PLAYING THE LEAD ROLE IN AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR JACYLN BETHANY'S NEW SHORT FILM THE LAST BIRTHDAY THAT IS ABOUT THE ROMANOV SISTERS–THIS WILL BE RELEASED AT FILM FESTIVALS NEXT YEAR.