Elodie is making her way in the cinema

Casting Elodie in her first-ever film role was the brainchild of Pippo Mezzapesa, director of Ti mangio il cuore. He explained, "I asked myself: why not entrust the role to a diva, dare to be bold like in other film industries? I suggested Elodie—it was a courageous choice by the production and an even bolder one by Elodie herself. Starting a film career with such a complex role isn’t easy. She’s the most daring and instinctive of all, diving in headfirst and willing to endure the challenges of getting into character." That’s exactly how the singer describes herself—instinctive and constantly eager to try new things. Above all, she never shies away from experimentation, embracing fresh opportunities and stepping into uncharted territory. And with acting, what began as an attempt has turned into a career.

Elodie in Ti mangio il cuore

Making its debut in 2022, the film about the Fourth Mafia premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival. After a cameo as herself in Federico Moccia’s Non c’è campo, Elodie took on her first major role as Marilena Camporeale, the wife of fugitive mob boss Santo. When she becomes the lover of the favored son of a rival clan, the Malatesta, the two are forced to flee and later confront the consequences of their love. A raw black-and-white film, Mezzapesa envisioned and depicted Elodie as a Madonna-like figure. With a delicate veil over her eyes, walking through a religious procession in the narrow streets of Puglia, the singer-turned-actress had to channel the magnetic presence she brings to the stage onto the big screen. And she succeeded—after Ti mangio il cuore, other directors started calling her, allowing her to balance acting with music tours and performances at the Sanremo Festival, as she continues to explore this new creative path.

Now comes Gioco pericoloso, a thriller with Eduardo Scarpetta and Adriano Giannini

"I've loved cinema since I was a little girl," Elodie said during the presentation of Gioco pericoloso, her second film set for theatrical release, in which she stars in a three-way thriller alongside Eduardo Scarpetta and Adriano Giannini. "Whenever an opportunity arises, I seize it, and that’s how it was with films. I want to grow, meet other women, and explore. Cinema is something vital, and so am I. If I take on certain projects, it’s because I want to evolve alongside them—whether in film or music. I want to become a well-rounded woman, even through my work." That journey is mirrored in her character, Giada, in Lucio Pellegrini’s film. She plays a dancer married to a critic who has gained fame with the release of his first novel, all set against the backdrop of a love triangle where art itself plays a crucial role. Once again embodying a bit of a femme fatale, as she did in Ti mangio il cuore, Elodie describes her character in Gioco pericoloso as "very powerful and multifaceted," a role she immediately embraced after reading the script.

Elodie’s future includes Mario Martone

With Pellegrini’s film, Elodie steps into the thriller genre, but her next challenge lies in working with one of the most celebrated auteurs of Italian cinema. She is set to be directed by none other than Mario Martone, one of Italy’s most prestigious filmmakers. Winner of the Silver Lion in 1992 for his fiction debut Morte di un matematico napoletano and the David di Donatello for Best Director for L’amore molesto in 1995, the Neapolitan director has assembled a stellar cast for his upcoming feature, Fuori. Centered on the life of writer Goliarda Sapienza—whose masterpiece L’arte della gioia was recently adapted for television—the film features Elodie alongside Matilda De Angelis and Valeria Golino, two leading figures from different generations of Italian cinema. In Fuori, which Elodie wrapped filming last August, the actresses bring to life the dramatic event that led Goliarda Sapienza to prison. Behind bars, the writer, played by Golino—who met Sapienza early in her career and later directed the TV adaptation of her novel—forms deep bonds with young inmates, friendships that extend beyond prison walls, shaping her life profoundly.

Now, all that remains is to await Elodie’s most ambitious film project yet. There’s a chance it could make its way to the major film festival circuit, with Cannes approaching and the Venice Film Festival later in the year. Considering that Martone’s previous narrative film, Nostalgia, premiered at Cannes—just as Golino’s adaptation of L’arte della gioia did—it wouldn’t be surprising. But if one thinks Elodie is simply chasing success, they’d be wrong: "It’s not a benchmark for me. Life is cyclical; everything ends, even success. In the meantime, I just keep hopping around, like I’m still eight years old."