Los Angeles director, Bianca Poletti, invites audiences into her exploration of a modern illness, toxic love – unexpectedly in a music film. It’s also visually intriguing, as complex as its subject, navigating and intricate maze of lust, love, desperation, sorrow, bliss, and jealousy.
The film, Lista, is a collaboration with Cuban-American actress and singer-songwriter, Nikki Lorenzo, reuniting her with True Detective star, John Hawkes on screen, in their third collaboration. Lista was produced independently by Poletti.
She describes Lista as a narrative about two people passionately seeking each other but unable to make the relationship work. “I wanted the end to feel like something they both didn’t want; they fought to stay together, but there was no other option for them.”
Poletti collaborated with dancer and choreographer, Matilda Sokomoto, to make the film, breaking it down into three distinct dances that capture the essence of excitement, enduring connection, and the inevitable end of a relationship. The visual aesthetics of the music film were crafted by director of photography, Kayla Hoff, a long-time collaborator with Poletti. Their work together includes the awarded short film, I Am Whole.
Lista is currently touring on the film festivals and awards circuits, with the most recent selections including Ciclope Latino and Berlin Commercial.
Poletti is an Argentine director and photographer, born in San Diego, California. She has directed numerous music videos, commercials, and short films, with her first feature being an anthology produced by James Franco. Poletti brings her love of character-driven stories, fashion, and architecture to her work, blending these into her vivid production design. Her personal work tends to exist in dreamlike worlds full of ethereal lighting, colour, and youthful Gen Z imagery.
Poletti’s film, Radical Honesty, premiered at this year’s SXSW 2022 film festival and received a Vimeo Staff Pick online premiere as well as winning a Gold at Ciclope 2022. Her film, I Am Whole, premiered with Directors Library, Short of The Week, Film Shortage, Curation Hour, and the Hammer Museum’s Flux Series in 2023. With a background in fashion photography, she has also shot for an extensive list of high-profile clients including Sacha Baron Cohen, Sean Penn, and Zoe Saldana.
Credits
Directed & Story by: Bianca Poletti
Executive Producers: Kelly Silva, John Hawkes & Nikki Lorenzo
DoP: Kayla Hoff
Producer: Shayna Gianelli
Gaffer: Saint
Steadicam: Devon Catucci
Editor: Dusten Zimmerman @ Cabin Edit
Colour: Mikey Rossiter
Production Designer: Sarah Fern
SoundMix: Chris Nungary
Titles: Fifty One Eight Inc.
