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Having it All in Life — Anna Primiani
Cinema
Having it All in Life
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Returning to a Career in Entertainment After Starting a Family by Anna Primiani
Anna Primiani is an award-winning actress, writer, and filmmaker. Her film, Let Forever Be, is currently gaining attention in festivals and won her a Best Actress Award at the Florence Film Awards. Her short film script, Weight, has won recognition across multiple festivals this year including Hollywood International Golden Age Festival, the Rome Prisma Awards, and Florida Shorts. Last year she was part of two films, Abducted and Pipe Nation, which filmed in Alberta. Next, she’s preparing to film the movie “A Vintage Bride” and start pre-production for Weight.
After taking a break to start a family, things are looking promising. As a woman in the workforce, trying to find the balance and the notion of “having it all”, is always a challenge. Within the film industry, women are consistently put under a microscope, where sexism, ageism, and expectations for women to do it all is still prevalent. Trying to navigate this precarious terrain, it becomes an internal battle making time for everyone
and everything, on top of societal judgement and the pressure of being a working mother. Women can be strong yet vulnerable, brave yet cautious, and grow as their lives change. Anna feels fortunate to have been cast in films like Disney’s Treasure Buddies, Curse of the Piano, and She Could Be You, After taking a break to start a family, things are looking promising. As a woman in the workforce, trying to find the balance and the notion of “having it all”, a true story of missing girl, Jennifer Marteliz, which premiered in Cannes. “Attending the Cannes Film Festival was an extraordinary experience. There’s so much talent all gathered in one place – it can be intimidating at times. But you need to push forward and smile with confidence…and remember not to trip on the red carpet with all those cameras flashing!” she laughs. Returning to the entertainment world after taking a break to start a family can be just as intimidating. Actors must overcome many hurdles to get in the audition room, yet alone be cast. The sentiments of self-doubt can compound when you eagerly return, and opportunities fall flat. Still, Anna doesn’t let these feelings hold
her back and continues to carve her own path. While acting is always her passion, she’s branching out as a writer and producer. These new creative avenues have compelled her to look inward.
For Anna, this has been especially true when impelling herself to write new stories that resonate with people. She’s no stranger to difficult times, having experienced tremendous loss in her life, including the death of her father at a young age, followed by a history of bullying, and even discrimination. Yet, she confesses that through personal and professional heartache, she’s both healing and creating her own opportunities. In her recent film The Choice, in which she was one of the producers, writers and stars, Anna tapped into memories of anguish to craft a story that poses questions over bodily autonomy from another perspective – does someone have the right to end their life when faced with an unrelenting and debilitating disease?
Having to deal with difficult, hurtful people or situations – these experiences can weigh heavy, and Anna says that this is how her new script Weight was conceived. “Weight, is a metaphor for the mistakes we make; the unhealthy relationships, heavy burdens, and the understanding that it’s OK to allow ourselves to let go,” Anna says.
She’s using her pain and experiences, to create complex characters that get brought to life through her films. Anna welcomes new opportunities and projects. People enjoy working with her and are drawn to her bright and warm personality. With a new agent, and more opportunities in Alberta, there is no doubt there is more to come as Anna returns to entertainment.
