The paradigm of too many other stories with the same finale: my small, personal appeal to not leave women alone when they are at the mercy of mental illness disguised as love.

ALESSANDRO Piva (fourth from left) and Rosa Maria (fifth from left) at the red carpet of the14th Rome Film Fest.

Santa subito by Alessandro Piva is the winner of the BNL People’s Choice Award at the 14th Rome Film Fest.

The BNL People’s Choice Award, in collaboration with BNL Group BNP Paribas, main partner of the Rome Film Fest, was awarded by the viewers. The audience cast its vote for the films in the Official Selection using myCicero, the official app “RomeFilmFest” (developed by Pluservice), and on the website www.romacinemafest.org.

The story is set on Bari, late 1980s. Santa is just under the age of 20, and like every young girl harbors dreams and anxieties, which she entrusts to her diary.

Her heart burns with her Christian faith and her thirst for life: she is determined in her desire to follow her spiritual vocation, but not before graduating from college, as agreed with her parents.

But someone steps in between Santa and her aspirations.

A man she met by chance during parish activities starts to stalk her, send her raving letters and follows her everywhere for three long years, continuing undisturbed despite her many reports to the police.

On 15 March 1991, Santa was stabbed 13 times, putting an end to her life. Could such an epilogue have been avoided?

“I heard about Santa Scorese’s story during a public event in which (Santa’s) sister Rosa Maria spoke, and which struck me in particular for her concluding thoughts: Santa was not the only victim of this tragedy. In an admirable moment of realization, Rosa Maria noted that her sister’s stalker could have been stopped in time so that he would not hurt himself or others. The institutions of the time were unprepared, however, to deal with issues such as violence against women or stalking, leading straight to this pre-ordained outcome,” says the director, Piva.

“This story is dedicated to those who remain to face their grief alone, following the dismay caused by a sudden and absurd loss. From femicide to martyrdom, Santa subito to tells the story of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The paradigm of too many other stories with the same finale: my small, personal appeal to not leave women alone when they are at the mercy of mental illness disguised as love,” he added.

Alessandro Piva became a director following a career as a photographer, film editor and screenwriter. His works as a documentarist won him the Premio Libero Bizzarri and a Premio Fedic Special Mention at the Venice Film Festival, along with a nomination for a David di Donatello. He has made four feature-length films.