I inherited the passion for the arts from one of my uncles; he lived as a single man in his house near Campo de’ Fiori – a one-bedroom brimming with VHS tapes. They were everywhere, and I was in awe of his bookshelves anytime I would visit. To me that represented independence at its peak: living alone, in the center of Rome, surrounded by movies. I thought, “When I grow up, this is how I wanna live as well”. As a kid, I also had a Sunday afternoon ritual – watching a black and white movie with Shirley Temple (I don’t know why our national tv was always airing those) while eating a chocolate beignet. I wish I could have her perfect curls and the ability to entertain people and make them happy (more or less what a chocolate beignet does as well). Growing up, I thought that if I could give someone else the same joy by writing and making my own movies, then life would be quite fun.