Private Project

A certain number of times

Two intertwined lives bound by shared memories. An intimate dance between grandmother and granddaughter celebrates the cycle of life, from childhood to adulthood, in a house filled with memories. A tribute to the signs of time that transform the body into the repository of experiences to be preserved and passed on. Past and present blend cathartically in the fragility of a body struggling to remember.

Due esistenze intrecciate da una memoria condivisa. Una danza intima tra nonna e nipote celebra il ciclo della vita, dall'infanzia all'età adulta, in una casa permeata di ricordi. Un'ode ai segni del tempo che trasformano il corpo nell’archivio di un vissuto che verrà custodito e tramandato. Passato e presente si mescolano catarticamente nella fragilità di un corpo che fatica a ricordare.

  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Writer
  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Director
  • Jody Hinterleitner
    Director
  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Choreographers
  • Silvia Addiego Mobilio
    Choreographers
  • Giorgia Ponticello
    Performers
  • Lisa Punzo
    Performers
  • Jody Hinterleitner
    Cinematographer
  • GAGS Scenografi
    Set design
  • Lisa Punzo
    Voice over
  • Simone Meneghelli
    Sound designer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital BRAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - CAM - University of Turin
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • ZED International Screendance Festival
    Bologna
    Italy
    July 4, 2024
    National Premiere
    Official selection
  • Max 3 Min Film Festival
    Milan
    Italy
    September 6, 2024
    Next Gen Award
  • Infinite Bodies International Film Festival
    Genova
    Italy
    September 21, 2024
    Audience Award
  • Interfaccia Digitale
    Pesaro
    Italy
    October 12, 2024
    Honorable Mention
  • Lens Dans Festival
    Barcelona
    Spain
    November 9, 2024
    Special Mention
  • Moving Body Festival
    Varna
    Bulgaria
    October 27, 2024
    Best Student Film
  • Mirabilia Festival
    Cuneo
    Italy
    September 6, 2025
    immersive screening
  • .MOV
    Roma
    Italy
    September 18, 2025
    Official selection
  • Il terzo posto
    Padova
    Italy
    December 14, 2025
  • ULTRA screendance festival
    Udine
    Italy
    December 19, 2025
    Official selection
  • Disseminazioni - rassegna di pratiche performative emergenti
    Turin
    Italy
    February 10, 2026
    immersive screening
Director Biography - Giorgia Ponticello, Jody Hinterleitner

Giorgia (1998, Italy) is a multidisciplinary 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.

Born into a family of artists and travelers, Jody (1999, Italy) began taking photographs as a child. Photography soon became his passion and his preferred means of expression. He attended a professional course in film and television editing, starting his career working for “Primocanale,” a television station in Genova. He then moved on to work for the production company “e-motion” as a camera assistant and operator, working for clients such as Costa Crociere, Bulgari, Moncler, and others. He currently collaborates with local artists, experimenting with innovative techniques and rediscovering outdated recording mediums such as magnetic tape and film.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My name is Giorgia Ponticello, and I am an aspiring italian director with a background in dance and visual arts. I discovered screendance in 2019 and fell madly in love with it. In 2021, during my academic studies, I embarked on my first project in collaboration with Jody Hinterleitner, an italian photographer and cinematographer. This marked the beginning of a creative duo dedicated to producing dance films.

The concept for the film "A certain number of times" originated from my wish to honor my grandmother's delicate, time-worn body. By intertwining past memories with the present, I aim to reconstruct her memory through our relationship. I began collecting pieces of her life from objects in her home that spoke to me about her. The intent was to capture everything that told her story as authentically as possible: her body, her voice, her home, her clothes. Dance became the connecting thread, passing down the archive of a body, struggling to remember, from one generation to the next.

The storyboard was structured as a guideline open to improvisation to capture authentic moments. Working with a trusted team was essential in maintaining an intimate atmosphere and a particular sensitivity on set.

I hope "A certain number of times" touches the hearts of the audience, inviting them to reflect on the relativity of time and their family origins. Special thanks to everyone who supported me in bringing this project to life, and to my incredible grandmother.

The text is taken from the novel "The Sheltering Sky" by Paul Bowles.