Unforgettable Five: Highlights from My Italy Study Abroad Journey
My life-changing experience studying cinema abroad in Italy with DePaul University cannot be summed up in a few words. While there are countless unforgettable memories from this trip that I will carry with me forever, I’ve chosen five highlights that I think are representative of the joy, education, and friendship I was lucky to experience.
1. Attending Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna
After adjusting to a week in Rome, our group packed up and traveled to Bologna, Italy, where we spent a week attending Cinema Ritrovato. This international festival has an emphasis on film restoration and highlighting the history of cinema. Each night, we attended nightly screenings in Piazza Maggiore, a town square that fit thousands of attendees. At every screening a speech was given by a film professional, sometimes the director, producer, or screenwriter. Other nights, a live orchestra played the score of the film. This experience of seeing firsthand how cinema brings thousands of people together from different countries, backgrounds and languages was unforgettable. During my time at DePaul, I took a course on Film Festivals, where I learned about the behind-the-scenes of festival curation and distribution tactics. Witnessing this for myself helped me have an even better understanding of film professionals in this space and the career opportunities in this realm of the cinema industry.
2. Visiting Cinque Terre
During my study abroad experience, I was able to check off my number one travel bucket list destination: Cinque Terre. In English, Cinque Terre means Five Lands, and it is five towns built into the mountains in the Italian Riviera. This trip gave me the independence and confidence to book a trip for a few of my classmates and myself. With the guidance and encouragement from my professors, we decided to book a four day trip through Northern Italy. I came into my study abroad experience knowing that I would want to visit this destination, but I had zero plan, and no one to go with me. By the last weekend of our five week trip, I had four new best friends who were willing to trust me to plan a dream trip for us. We hiked through coastal towns, swam and cliff-dived in the Mediterranean Sea, tried fresh seafood, and my favorite: we bonded over a pepperoni pizza while watching the sunset.
3. Our Group Trip to Tuscany
Our group trip to Tuscany was a vacation from our vacation. Our professors designed this weekend for us to relax and bond with each other. It was more than successful. Upon leaving we all said we truly felt like a family, and the trip brought us even closer for the duration of our trip. During our group trip to a stunning resort in Tuscany, we attended a wine tasting, a pasta making class, and an archaeological site visit to undiscovered tombs! At the beginning of our study abroad, many of us were acquaintances or friends of friends, but we had no more of a relationship than being labeled as each other’s classmates. After this weekend in Tuscany, each of us walked out with 21 new best friends, people that will be more than just a familiar friendly face in school. We gained friendships, professional connections, and emotional support systems.
4. Meeting Oscar Nominated Director Matteo Garrone
While studying cinema, it is so important to hear from professionals who have experienced the industry firsthand. DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts is well connected to the industry and consistently provides learning and networking opportunities. Oscar Nominated Director of Io Capitano, Matteo Garrone came to our class in Rome to discuss his film career with us. During this intimate Q&A session we were granted the opportunity to ask any questions we had about his filmmaking and writing processes, his career advice for young filmmakers and his experience with the Oscars. We were given a wealth of knowledge from this opportunity and each walked out with an important takeaway. Mine was “don’t work for the prize.” Though Garrone is an Oscar-nominated director, he emphasizes the importance of telling your story to share with the world and NOT for a reward or recognition
5. A Fan Pilgrimage to Crema Italy
In class we had the privilege of meeting Walter Fasano, editor of Call Me By Your Name, and many other notable films. The very next day, four of us traveled to Crema, Italy, the location where Call Me By Your Name was filmed. Walter sent us a personal voice memo with recommendations on where to visit. This was a surreal experience, to be standing in the location of one of our favorite films, while listening to a personal message from the editor himself. This was a networking opportunity we could’ve only come up with in our dreams. Two of us had previously taken classes with professor Paul Booth, who teaches Fandom Studies courses. In these classes I learned about fan pilgrimages, and the phenomenon of tourism generated from fandom. We did our own pilgrimage on this trip by visiting the site locations of the film, recreating stills from the film, proudly wearing merch and outfits inspired by the characters.
My five weeks in Italy were formative to who I am and will become. I highly recommend applying to a study abroad program during your time at DePaul. Enjoy the adventure that awaits you!
~Marina