And… action! ROLE's film-opera production begins in Padua

On 3 September 2025, the ROLE project reached a new milestone as filming began for its reinterpretation of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. After months of preparation and a rehearsal session in July, students and teachers from the Conservatorio Statale di Musica Cesare Pollini in Padua stepped in front of the cameras, joined by colleagues from Ghent, Madrid, and Bratislava.

The day’s shooting captured both dialogue and operatic scenes in contrasting settings. In the morning, the dressing room of the theatre was transformed into an intimate film set for a newly written dialogue sequence. By the afternoon, attention shifted to a reconfigured stage: with no orchestra pit available, musicians from the Conservatorio took their place backstage, while the stalls became an offstage area. At the centre, the stage glowed under a careful balance of theatrical and cinematic lighting, framing the selected operatic passages woven into the screenplay.

The film tells the story of international students collaborating on a staging of Così fan tutte. Yet, as rehearsals progress, the line between performance and reality begins to blur. The intrigues of Mozart’s opera echo in the students’ own lives, creating a layered narrative where art and life mirror one another in a subtle game of attraction and disguise.

This first day of filming marks a significant step for ROLE’s innovative approach to opera-making. By blending academic collaboration with cinematic production, the project offers young performers a platform beyond the traditional theatre, while opening the door to new audiences once the film is released online.

As shooting continues, one detail remains under wraps: the title of this new film-opera. For now, the cameras are rolling, the stage is alive, and Mozart’s world is taking on a fresh and innovative form.