"Something Lilac," Nicole's challenge against bulimia nervosa comes to TV

With 'Something Lilac', by Isabella Leoni, a TV movie airing in prime time on Thursday, April 2 on Rai1, public service television strikes a chord on a highly relevant issue:

According to data released by the Italian National Institute of Health, in Italy, among girls aged 15 to 25, bulimia is the second leading cause of death and families often do not even notice, because the bulimic person tends to isolate themselves, to go unnoticed; it is a silent disease, difficult to identify at first.

The film was presented at the Rai headquarters on Via Alessandro Severo in Rome by the lead actors, Federica Pala, Alessandro Tersigni, Raffaella Rea, and Margherita Buoncristiani, along with the director and screenwriter Maruska Albertazzi.

"This is not the story of a girl who recovers, but of a girl who takes a first step towards change, choosing to want to heal. Talking about eating disorders is essential; many young people are affected by them," emphasizes Isabella Leoni, revealing that one of the soundtracks is by Fulminacci.

The TV movie is a co-production of Rai Fiction, Masterfive Cinematografica in association with Armosia Italia.

The story of fifteen-year-old Nicole, played by Federica Pala, is common to many teenagers: the pain of divorced parents, a passion for mathematics, the search for the right weight that never comes. Nicole lives with her mother Veronica (Raffaella Rea), who is a personal trainer and with whom she has a conflicting relationship. The woman wants her to be more mature; she has a special relationship with her police officer father, Cristiano (Alessandro Tersigni), whom she sees every weekend.

Tersigni points out: "My character is a police officer who realizes he made the mistake of trying to befriend his daughter. He tries to fill a void caused by the divorce by becoming a friend, but this prevents him from truly seeing who Nicole is. I - he reveals - have two children who are not yet teenagers, but I modestly believe that parents need to be parents, not play friends."

Federica Pala is Nicole: "She is a girl like any other, who has a discomfort that she initially does not perceive as such, but she does not talk about it to anyone, except to Luce. Only thanks to the latter will she gain awareness of having an illness. The film must be seen, because it includes many perspectives with great realism, and it addresses both young people and adults who may ignore, do not perceive, not through their fault, certain warning signs."

Margherita Buoncristiani, on the other hand, is Luce: "My character has the same illness as Nicole, with whom she forms a strong bond, but in an advanced state. She has an invisible illness, which exists but is not seen. In the end, Luce will not be able to overcome her battle. I did not know this condition well before working on set; I talked a lot with the director."

Nicole's (Pala) life changes when Luce (Buoncristiani) arrives in class, bringing with her all the discomfort of today's adolescents and dragging her into a sort of "sisterhood" of fragility in a world made of excesses, where everything is pushed to the limit. Luce has suffered from bulimia since she was little; it seems that the illness is part of her. Thus Nicole slips into the illness just as one slips into adulthood, without realizing it. But above all, without others realizing it.

Raffaella Rea is Veronica, the protagonist's mother: "My character is a personal trainer who is attentive to nutrition and body weight; perhaps that is where the daughter's problems arise. I am also a mother; as soon as Maruska told me about the screenplay, I immediately felt the urge to ask questions even though they are not yet teenagers to prepare myself."

Maruska Albertazzi dedicated the book Qualcosa di Lilla (Solferino) to Giulia, Lea, Lorenzo, Noemi, Alessia, and all the others who have passed away waiting for a cure. "I am Giulia Tavilla, daughter of Stefano, with whom I have participated in many demonstrations. She died at 17 while on the waiting list. Then there is Lea, who also died of bulimia, already out of a treatment path, but her heart could not withstand it and she passed away from a heart attack. Noemi, a 24-year-old artist, had been ill for a long time; she had problems finding the right treatment. She lived through an epic saga of hospitalizations and lack of resources in the area. Unfortunately, she took her own life."