Mikaela Neaze Silva and the joy of talent

DoDo's Milan boutique is a sweet treat, a cozy and colorful place that puts everyone at ease. Perhaps that's why Mikaela Neaze Silva has been so charming, warm, and cheerful. Or maybe it's her wonderful lightness - whether it's a natural or acquired talent doesn't matter - that enables her to say important, personal, profound things always with a smile, embracing the camera, us, and the whole room in the same gesture. We asked her about her future plans, what she's passionate about, and what motivates her, and it turned into a chat among friends, like the ones you have on the Navigli on Saturday afternoons as soon as the sun comes out. A breath of fresh air and the scent of flowers.

Mikaela is a model and a dancer, but what she loves most now is acting: "I've been studying it for three years now. I like the role of an actress because it brings out that empathy, that sensitivity that we should all have. It's a passion I discovered late and it has made me grow a lot. You can't improvise being an actor, preparation is needed. Another thing I like is being able to create a good atmosphere on set, to work well with anyone. Making a movie is a collaborative effort and if you can't create harmony on set, the result will hardly be good." A journey blessed with passion and a desire to do, but not always easy: "I've always faced difficulties head-on, even those specific to being a woman. Being a woman is very beautiful. My mom left Afghanistan when she was 18, I was born in Moscow. Later she had to flee to Angola: she didn't have the support of her family because she wanted to be with my father. She was my example of a determined woman who knows what she wants and asserts her independence despite what society imposes, she transmitted her strength to me and continued to do so throughout her life. We faced everything with a smile, with determination, believing in ourselves."

These origins have created some issues for her, not only in Italy: "I grew up and lived in completely different parts of the world and that allowed me to understand others. It wasn't always easy. For example, when I arrived in Italy, I had trouble accepting my hair because it was different from other girls'. Now they are my strength, my 'happy hair'. There have been discriminations, there's no denying it. Initially, it was hard for people to accept that a black girl could work on television. I realized that unfortunately, there are people in the world who didn't have the fortune I had to grow up in a family that gave me important values, that allowed me to travel." Hair has become over the years one of the many ways in which Mikaela expresses herself, along with dancing, music, painting, drawing. Also, clothing and accessories, and especially jewelry. DoDo, naturally: "DoDo and I share a love for art, for diversity, for inclusion. It's been great to join this family, I feel understood."

When we ask her what she would advise a girl who wants to pursue the same path, Mikaela lights up: "To stay true to herself, not to change for others, not to be afraid to say no to certain situations. We have the right to say no, not to compromise. I didn't accept shortcuts and I'm very proud of it, I got where I am on my own merits. It takes luck too, being in the right place at the right time, study and preparation. It's also a bit of destiny, but believe in it a lot, have discipline, study. Follow what you have in your heart." And about her future, which shines almost as brightly as she does, she says: "I hope that soon the independent film I worked on, titled Roma Blues and directed by Gianluca Manzetti, will be released in theaters. It's a film about marginalization, about people who don't feel accepted in today's society. I hope everyone can see it. Another project I'm very proud of is Never Too Late, a series about climate change directed by Salvatore De Chirico and Lorenzo Vignolo. It will be released on RaiPlay, I hope you like it!"