Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Born into the infamous “Children of God” cult in Thailand and raised in Trieste, artist and filmmaker Alba Zari has no memories of her childhood. Driven by a desire to uncover the truth about her past, she confronts her mother and grandmother. What emerges across three generations is a journey that delves deep into family wounds—navigating a labyrinth of silences not to find easy reconciliation, but to translate pain into dignity, resilience, and understanding.
We are often told so-called ‘white lies’ for our own good. But what consequences might such actions have for us? And, above all, how important is it to be able to look back at the past so that we can come to terms with significant traumas? In ‘White Lies’, the director’s story maintains an intimate dimension whilst, at the same time, taking on universal connotations.
Festivals and Awards
- 66th Festival dei Popoli (World Premiere)
- 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (International Premiere)
- Crossing Europe 2026
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:
“WHITE LIES stems from the need to tell my family story: an intimate investigation into the choices, silences and omissions that have marked three generations of women – Rosa, Ivana and me… The film aspires to be a space for recognition and reflection for those who have experienced abuse, coercion or trauma related to complex family relationships. The story becomes a tool for liberation, an invitation to use storytelling to break the chain of trauma and build new ways of dealing with and understanding the past.”
DIRECTOR’S BIO:
Alba Zari (Bangkok, 1987) graduated in cinematography at the DAMS in Bologna. Alba continued her studies in Photography and Visual Design at NABA in Milan, followed by Documentary Photography at the International Centre of Photography in New York. “Freikörperkultur” (2021), her first short documentary, was presented at the Trieste FF in 2022. “White Lies”, one of the selected projects of WEMW 2025, premiered at the latest edition of the Festival dei Popoli in Florence.
INTERVIEW with Alba Zari: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7yN-oyfZco
