Director's Works
Claudillea, Hope You're Happy Vittoria Rizzardi Peñalosa
After moving to London to attend Law School, Vittoria graduated in 2017 with an LLB in Law at City University. In that same year she moved to the USA to attend the MFA degree in writing for screen and TV at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Vittoria’s scripts were finalists in several screenplay contests such as Sundance Episodic LAB, Blue Cat, and The Launch. Her directorial work has screened at prestigious venues across the world including the MAXXI Museum of Modern Art in Rome, Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, and the VIFF centre in Vancouver. Her films have premiered on platforms such as My Movies and Minute Shorts, while being recognised in Oscar-qualifying film festivals including the HBO film festival in Palms Springs, LA International Shorts Film Festival, and the Vancouver International Film Festival. Her feature film in development titled “It burns”, a coming-of-age psychological-thriller, was selected at the Venice Biennale College Cinema 2023 along with only six other projects. Vittoria has directed music videos for musicians between Milan, London, and Amsterdam as well as campaigns for Barbour, Swarovski, Cirque Du Soleil, Vogue Brazil and LE MILE magazine.
Claudillea’s song "Hope You’re Happy" explores the haunting grip of old patterns, often toxic, from a first love that linger long after that person is forgotten. These lingering feelings can sabotage current relationships, trapping you in the shadows of the past. I wanted to represent this first love as a home—because relationships can feel like a home—and show how only by burning that home to the ground can one finally move forward into a healthier, brighter future. Claudillea has reached a point of no return and her only choice is to burn down her past and run towards her future. The ending culminates in the imagery of the goddess-like creature, still Claudillea but from another dimension. The symbolism of this is intentionally subtle and open to interpretation, but the aim is hinting at a materialisation of that wise voice in your head guiding you along the way during tough times, perhaps, your inner child.