Stranger, like me

A teenage girl with selective mutism secretly shares her thoughts on a podcast online. But when one of her classmates, Ligaya, catches her recording one of her episodes, her secret is in danger.
The paths of the two girls will suddenly collide, overturning the balance they were used to and changing the course of their lives forever.

  • Maris Muzzarelli
    Director
  • Maris Muzzarelli
    Writer
  • Madalina Dolhescu
    Producer
  • Asia Pardini
    Key Cast
    "Sabrina"
  • Andrea Galigani
    Key Cast
    "Ligaya"
  • Sara Marconi
    Key Cast
    "Teresa"
  • Edoardo Murazzi
    Key Cast
    "Alberto"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Sconosciuto, come me
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television, Other
  • Genres:
    Drama, Social
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 24, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Accademia Cinema Toscana
  • Giornata Del Cinema
    Lucca
    Italy
    June 16, 2023
    We Short Award: BEST SHORT FILM
Director Biography - Maris Muzzarelli

Maris Muzzarelli is a young director and screenwriter.

Since a young age, she focuses her narration around social themes and the common feelings that unites the human soul.

She graduated from Accademia Cinema Toscana and has written and directed several productions, including short films, documentaries, videoclips and commercials.

In 2020 she wins the scholarship established by Accademia Cinema Toscana with the short film “Candlelight” and in 2023 she wins the recognition “We Short Award Best Short Film”, provided by the platform, with the pilot episode “Stranger, like me”.

During and following the academic period, her working experience grows. She partecipates in both indipendent and international film sets such as My Brilliant Friend (L’amica geniale), Disclaimer and The Tower Stories, playing different roles in production, directing and extras departments.

She concludes an internship at the production company “Echivisivi” and later monitors the film script selection for the award “ALF Premi Cinema” – Pensare al Femminile.
In May 2024, both her documentary, “Parlami di te” and the pilot episode, “Sconosciuto, come me” are screened at Vicopisano and Lucca as part of events dedicated to the themes in question.

Maris, following the need to address social and inner matters using a new perspective, keeps writing and has currently under development several projects as director and screenwriter.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Sabrina's life is animated by curiosity, constantly stimulated by new perceptions, enriched by the encounter of art and culture, yet interrupted, limited.
Selective mutism is an obstacle to her interiority, which tries in every way to come out, without being able to emerge.

The creative intent transforms into a real mission to be able to transmit her true essence and to be able to reveal her emotions on the screen, making her a fundamental part of that reality that she loves, but still fights daily.

That anxiety that grips Sabrina, the reason for her silence and that often forces her to exclude herself from this reality, however, cannot be ignored: facing the world is a challenge that she fights every day and the camera tells us about it, following her closely becoming, with the edit, the expression of what she feels.

Fears and conquests mix visually, giving us an accurate portrait of Sabrina and what surrounds her.