Tecla Insolia is an ancient soul

Tecla Insolia has an old soul. Perhaps that's why, in some of her first major projects, she takes on the role of a protagonist in a story set in the early 1900s on one hand and, on the other, of a young girl in love with Giacomo Leopardi. From the TV series L’arte della gioia to the feature film L’albero, there are many points of connection between the Modesta created by Goliarda Sapienza and the Bianca in the directorial debut of Sara Petraglia—above all, a constant sense of rebellion. "It’s something I aspire to," says the 2004-born actress from Varese, who deeply understands her characters' emotions. "I feel the suffering and the fear of the future. That doesn't mean I justify every action of Bianca and Modesta, but I listen to them and I understand." The protagonist of L’arte della gioia goes through life constantly searching for her place, while in L’albero, Insolia plays a twenty-year-old in love with her best friend and, above all, addicted to cocaine—a story that closely reflects the experiences of its screenwriter and director, Petraglia.

Tecla Insolia talks about her present and future roles

"I see Bianca as a young woman unable to bear her own reality. And, aside from the addiction, she is a character I feel very close to. I understood it from the first email I received, where she was described in great detail: nostalgic, intense, sentimental." And pessimistic, bringing us back to Leopardi. "In highschool Giacomo Leopardi wasn’t part of our curriculum. I carried with me memories from middle school when I saw something of myself in him. I think that’s part of the poet’s timeless power: he connects with everyone. And I find it incredibly relevant to what Bianca experiences in the film. I love that she has idols she looks up to. She needs to find a way to express herself, and she does it through literature and writing, just as Sara does in real life. And while I would never dare compare myself to Leopardi, I do recognize in myself a certain sensitivity and an inclination toward observing the world around me. In Il primo amore, the poet records his love story day by day, analyzing how it evolves until it eventually ends. It’s a way of processing emotions that resonates deeply with how I experience life." A perceptiveness toward human emotions that also emerges in her most recent reading choices: "I read The Waves by Virginia Woolf and loved its constant stream-of-consciousness style, where everyone speaks in an experimental manner. I also finished V13 by Emmanuel Carrère. I caught up on Sally Rooney with Normal People, and recently, Sara gave me some books by Pajtim Statovci, whose brutally honest character portrayals really struck me."

L’albero, an independent female-led project

Her relationship with L’albero's director and co-star Carlotta Gamba has remained strong even beyond the film. Three people who didn’t know each other before filming, but who shared "something magical." "When you only have four weeks to shoot and realize you’re forming unbreakable bonds, there’s a sense of urgency, as if you don’t want the set to end because you fear it won’t happen again," the young actress explains. "But in reality, the love and friendship we built for the film continued beyond it. Sara is a rare person, incredibly talented, who brings a sense of peace and energy to her work." As the film’s story was deeply personal to Petraglia, Insolia had a constant dialogue with the director to ensure authenticity. "To prepare, I talked a lot with Sara. I didn’t seek out others to share their experiences—I focused on what she had written and told me," she explains. "That’s because in L’albero, drugs hold the significance Bianca assigns to them—believing she can’t write or that she’ll lose the intensity of her relationship with Angelica if she stops using. That’s why there’s no glorification of drug use—it’s as honest a story as possible." "I want to shine as much light as possible on small projects like L’albero, which to me is a little gem," the actress adds. "It’s important to embrace new voices and emerging talent—after all, I’m still emerging myself. Look at this year’s success of Sean Baker. That’s why seemingly niche narratives like L’albero need to circulate—they reveal the humanity in people, which is what truly resonates with audiences. I hope to continue balancing big productions with smaller projects throughout my career."

And her upcoming projects

Perhaps Tecla Insolia's only real addiction is her relentless pursuit of artistic expression—projects that vary in scope but always strive to connect with audiences, even when that means facing the weight of judgment: "Thankfully, I don’t have obsessions like Bianca’s, though I recognize I’ve struggled with a form of emotional dependency. I often feel at the mercy of constant validation from others. The idea of not being self-sufficient haunts me. I think that’s why many of us pursue artistic careers—to share what we feel. My only fear is that this could become a kind of prison. I come from a background far removed from cinema—no one in my family is in the industry—so I feel the need to keep moving forward. Finding balance is hard, but I want to work on it, handling both the good and the bad with clarity. I know I can do it—I have the means to succeed, and after all, I’m still young!"

This too is a female-driven film: "I’m surrounded by women, and I love them all. I grew up believing there was no real gender divide, and I still think that way—but I also realize that in female environments, I feel more personally protected. At the same time, I believe both men and women can capture the complexity of the human experience. I love exploring these different perspectives. I also think of Francesco Costabile, a non-binary person I worked with on Familia, and I feel it’s essential to have a diverse range of viewpoints in storytelling." Her career is still in its early stages, but her passion for pushing boundaries and exploring new territories is undeniable: "I don’t set specific goals. I’m not hungry for anything except living as many experiences and stories as possible. My ‘tree’ is waking up every morning and leading a life worth living. I aspire to discover as much as I can, even though knowing it’s impossible destroys me."