Rossella Laeng is an Italian-American, award-winning documentary filmmaker.
My latest short Taxiderman–about a rock and roll taxidermist in Padua who makes his living stuffing dead pets for grieving owners–hit the international festival circuit in 2021 and boasts multiple selections and several awards.
My previous work has appeared on The Guardian, The Establishment, and The Huffington Post.
I tend to gravitate towards human interest stories that shed light on complex subject matter, often through the lens of a unique art form.
My first film was about a retired marionettist in Greenwich Village, who is gay and survived the AIDS epidemic while living in its epicenter. I told the story of a feminist artist who donated her eggs five times, then made haunting art about the process and its physical and psychological implications. I traveled to the Texas/Mexico border to interview the reigning queen of Brownsville’s annual Grito contest.
I am obsessed with humanity, and skilled at finding beauty and universal truths within its quirkiness.
Aside from directing my own films, I work as a producer, typically acting as a bridge between the United States and Italy / Europe.
My most recent credit is Archival Producer (for Italy) for Taking Venice, a feature-length documentary directed by Amei Wallach, about a transformative moment in history when art and international politics collided during the Cold War, as Robert Rauschenberg captured the Grand Prize (a first for America) at the Venice Biennale, the Olympics of art (2023: Rome Film Festival, DOC NYC).
I have a BFA in film with a focus on documentary from the City College of New York, and a certificate in journalism from NYU SPS.
Originally from Milan, I spent my senior year of high school studying abroad in the foothills of the Himalayas, in India. I’ve also lived in Austin–Texas, Sidney–Australia, and NYC. I am fluently bilingual in Italian and English.
  • Director (3 Credits)
    Italiahuasca
    Documentary, Feature
    Taxiderman2021
    Documentary
    Back Alley Hoes2020
    Experimental, Music Video, Short, Student
  • Writer (1 Credit)
    Back Alley Hoes2020
    Experimental, Music Video, Short, Student
Official Selection
Taxiderman
Kort Film Festivalen
Grimstad
2022
Semifinalist
Taxiderman
Corto Dorico Film Fest
Ancona
2021
Official Selection
Taxiderman
Bushwick Film Festival
New York City
2021
Best Documentary
Taxiderman
Firenze Film Corti Festival
Florence
2021
Official Selection
Taxiderman
Rhode Island International Film Festival
Rhode Island
2021
College
City College of New York
Documentary Film
High School
Woodstock School, Mussoorie, India
Birth Date
August 11, 1989
Birth City
New Haven, CT
Current City
Lecco, Italy
Gender
Female
Rossella Laeng is an Italian-American, award-winning documentary filmmaker.
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