Private Project

Absent Presence

To perceive, from the Greek "touch at a distance". Absent Presence is the surreal journey of a disconnected body in an attempt to find itself in the spaces of an empty house. A game of perceptions, between the ambiguity of reflections and distorted shadows, which leads the viewers to wonder about the relativity of what they are watching: what is real to us? What can I move and what moves me?

  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Director
  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Writer
  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Key Cast
  • Jody Hinterleitner
    Cinematographer
  • Simone Meneghelli
    Sound Designer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    1 minute
  • Completion Date:
    January 14, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital BRAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • LensDans Festival
    Bruxelles
    Belgium
    February 24, 2023
    International Premiere
  • La Danza in 1 Minuto
    Turin
    Italy
    March 14, 2023
    Italian Premiere
    Solo Coreografico Special Mention
  • Screen Dance Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    April 28, 2023
  • Stories We Dance | Fuori Formato Festival
    Genova
    Italy
    June 30, 2023
  • ShorTS International Film Festival
    Trieste
    Italy
    July 2, 2023
  • Moving Body Festival
    Varna
    Bulgaria
    July 9, 2023
    Best low budget
  • Dance Days Chania
    Chania
    Greece
    July 26, 2023
  • Manifest Dance Film Festival

    India
    July 28, 2023
  • Sans Sauci Festival of Dance Cinema
    Colorado
    United States
    September 1, 2023
  • Max 3 Min Film Festival
    Milan
    Italy
    September 15, 2023
  • Choreoscope Dance Festival
    Barcelona
    Spain
    October 18, 2023
  • Cinematica Festival
    Ancona
    Italy
    October 26, 2023
    Organization Award
  • Dance ON Screen Film Festival
    Graz
    Austria
    November 3, 2023
  • Zinetika Festival
    Pamplona
    Spain
    December 15, 2023
    Other Lights Award
  • Cinedans
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    March 22, 2025
    International student competition
    Special mention
  • Pesaro
    Italy
    June 15, 2025
    Prix Vida Italia
    Finalist
Director Biography - Giorgia Ponticello

Giorgia is a multidisciplinary italian artist with a background in dance and a strong interest in audiovisual and communication fields. She trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Genoa, completing a thesis on the visual perception of movement in the relationship between audience and performers. In 2023, her short dance film "Absent Presence" was selected by international screendance and film festivals, receiving several special mentions and recognition. She is currently attending CAM (Cinema, Performing Arts and Media) in Turin to further her research at the intersection of dance and digital media.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The project originated during the 2020 quarantine as a series of self-portrait photographs taken in my home. The initial intent was to explore everyday spaces with a new perspective and approach. What began as a fun therapeutic activity during a period of social closure and isolation evolved into a significant project. These photos were presented as an exam project during my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and were selected for the contemporary art exhibition "I as Myself" (June 2021, Rome).

Later, I realized that these shots needed movement, so I decided to connect the pictures to tell a single story, and it worked. The common thread was the process and the concept of merging physical space with mental space.