In a year already brimming with daring indie visions, Italian-Polish short filmmaker Diletta Di Nicolantonio returns with a provocative new work that places a fierce spotlight on body image, female agency, and the commodification of pain. Titled “Ciao, Varsavia”, the film world is abuzz with Sara Serraiocco’s high-profile involvement as executive producer, alongside the onscreen revelation Carlotta Gamba in the lead role of Diana. The project, a collaborative venture with Timber Production and co-produced with Tak Mi Zle Films and Three Lions Production, is set to premiere in the prestigious Onde Corte – Panorama Italia section at Alice’s City in Rome.
“Ciao, Varsavia” unfolds through the intimate lens of Diana, a 27-year-old whose fragile physique belies a stubborn, defiant will. Fresh from a stay in a clinic for eating disorders, Diana returns to the gray, sun-bleached suburbs of Warsaw, where the city’s surfaces—diet fads, giant billboards, and scrutinizing mirrors—form a constant, merciless gaze. The story pivots on a stark invitation: a lingerie casting for an Italian brand. Diana’s decision to accept or reject becomes a diagnostic on desire, power, and the meaning of belonging in a world that treats bodies as exchangeable currency.
The film’s subject matter is uncompromising: it dissects an industry that profits from the very insecurities it claims to solve. The production notes emphasize that the narrative does not romanticize vulnerability; it interrogates how the pressures of beauty, performance, and visibility shape the choices of young women today. In Diana’s oscillation between needing to be seen and wanting to disappear, the film stages a disturbingly intimate journey into a mind fighting to redefine itself within a demanding, image-obsessed culture.
Directed and written by Diletta Di Nicolantonio, a rising voice in contemporary European cinema, “Ciao, Varsavia” positions Varsavia and Łódź as quintessential settings for a ghostly, almost dreamlike exploration of identity amid urban decay. The cinematography by Matteo Cocco, with on-set sound by Wojciech Plaza, crafts a stark, almost tactile palette—color and space used to convey the alienation that pervades Diana’s world. The production’s cross-border nature—Italian and Polish collaboration—mirrors the film’s central theme: the encounter between personal struggle and systemic demand.
Sara Serraiocco’s involvement as executive producer underscores a growing trend of women in leadership roles within independent cinema, helping to shepherd a project that foregrounds female experience with nuance and urgency. Serraiocco’s influence, combined with the cast led by Carlotta Gamba and supported by Fortunato Cerlino, signals a bold, character-driven piece rather than a conventional festival short.
Clocking in at just under twenty minutes, “Ciao, Varsavia” is compact in duration but expansive in its ambitions. The short format becomes a deliberate vessel for a panoramic inquiry: how the pressures of body image intersect with love, longing, and the impulse toward radical self-definition. The script’s tight focus—Diana’s internal and social landscape—permits a nuanced performance from Gamba, who embodies a persona both fragile and ferociously resilient.
The film’s lauded concept is not merely a critique of fashion and advertising; it’s a meditation on the violence of objectification and the quiet revolts that erupt within those who feel scrutinized by every glance. In the director’s own words, the drama is driven by an urgent political truth: the female body has long been treated as a battleground, and Diana’s story is a testimony to the complexity of resisting a system that prizes perfection over personhood.
“Ciao, Varsavia” was developed for and presented in a platform that champions young European voices, with Alice’s City showcasing its premiere. Its public-facing materials emphasize not only the film’s narrative stakes but also its broader cultural critique: a call to examine how modern industries—fashion, casting, and advertising—continue to monetize distress and shape collective expectations of beauty.
The behind-the-scenes roster reflects a committed, collaborative spirit. Alongside Di Nicolantonio, the production features a team of Italian and Polish professionals, and a cadre of emerging and established performers whose work in independent cinema has earned growing recognition. Sara Serraiocco’s executive production role marks a notable expansion of her influence beyond performance, signaling a trend toward more artist-led, mission-driven independent film ventures.
What to Watch For? It’s a psychologically intimate portrayal of a young woman negotiating a system that equates worth with appearance.; layered performance landscape that invites viewers to reflect on the broader social mechanisms that shape self-image; a visually bold approach to framing urban landscapes as characters in their own right, intensifying the film’s emotional cadence and an international collaboration that strengthens the cross-cultural dialogue around women’s voices in contemporary cinema.
“Ciao, Varsavia” is positioned for festival exposure in the 2025 circuit, with its premiere at Alice nella Città and ongoing festival runs anticipated across Europe. The project’s timing aligns with a growing appetite for short-format cinema that challenges audiences while delivering compact, potent storytelling.
For audiences seeking a direct pathway to the film’s materials and schedules, the producers have indicated ongoing press outreach through Storyfinders. Interested readers can expect updates regarding further screenings, Q&A sessions, and potential collaborations tied to the film’s release slate.
Sara Serraiocco’s foray into executive production on “Ciao, Varsavia” marks an exciting convergence of talent, purpose, and cinematic risk. Di Nicolantonio’s vision—piercing, political, and deeply human—invites viewers to witness a portrait of a young woman at the edge of visibility, fighting to redefine what it means to exist as a woman in a world that constantly measures worth in weight and width. As the film makes its ascent through the festival circuit, it promises not only to move audiences but to stoke essential conversations about representation, resilience, and the ongoing labor of reclaiming one’s voice.
Photo credits: Portrait cover of Carlotta Gamba. Other Credits: Francesco Ormando, Total look Chanel, press & styling by Other Agency
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