1. Figlia Bella
(Beautiful Daughter)
Iliana Moretti is your typical 30 year old successful architect living it up in New York City…
it would seem. A force of nature, she is Intelligent, savvy, sharp and outspoken. But no
one knows the REAL Iliana. Trapped in a mental struggle to over come her disillusionment
with the world she exists in, Iliana has dedicated her time to hiding this inner turmoil.
Thanks to her Italian heritage and Jersey upbringing, much to her frustration, Iliana's
alluring edgy sex appeal is a distraction in the workplace. However skilled and in demand
her talents may be, Iliana's insistence on being treated as an equal in her predominately
male environment is continually thwarted.
Adding to that the fractured dynamic within her family, her life long best friend dying from
a terminal illness, and her disappointing dating history, any belief in true love and romance
has been extinguished. Iliana's taste for numbing her torments with booze and pills has
taken its toll on her emotional senses, leaving her isolated in a dream world of her own
imaginings.
When Iliana starts dating easy going and care-free Mickey Nolan (25), a musician in her
building, they fall into a relationship fast. As their romance intensifies, Mickey is conflicted
by Iliana's volatile moods as she struggles to cope with emotions she has denied for so
long. Iliana and Mickey are led through their own maze of unexpected and confronting
challenges. Unable to cope, Iliana escapes to the picturesque countryside of Italy to spend
time with her relatives. Leaving the comforts of New York and her Mickey behind. It is in
this majestic village where she embarks on an awakening of the mind and her heart.
Highlighted with the romantic back drop of the neon lights of New York City and a feast of
a soundtrack including Patti Smith, REM, The Kills, The Clash and John Coltrane, Figlia
Bella is a rare and timeless cinematic experience. This modern Rock n Roll romance will
delight all your senses and linger for years to come.
A film by Michael Roth

2. DIRECTOR'S NOTE:
"Rock 'N' Roll is an attitude. It's not a musical form of a strict sort. It's a way of
doing things, of approaching things. Writing can be Rock 'N' Roll or a movie can
be Rock ' N' Roll. It's a way of living your life. “ ~ Lester Bangs
“FIGLIA BELLA”
(Beautiful Daughter)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MAGICAL AND ENCHANTED CITY
OF NEW YORK THERE LIVED AN EMOTIONALLY WITHDRAWN
GIRL, WHO , AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, MET AN
EMOTIONALLY WITHDRAWN BOY AND TOGETHER...THEY
ROCKED !
Figlia Bella (Beautiful Daughter) was first written in 1987 and with
private capital went into pre-production. Linda Fiorentino was cast
in the lead role of Iliana Moretti and Brad Davis (Midnight Express)
was cast as her love interest Mickey Nolan. The crew I assembled
included well respected and award winning collaborators: Sven
Nykvist (Cinematography), Theodora Van Runkle (Costumes),
DeDe Allen ( Editor), Fernando Scarfiotti ( Art Direction ), Deborah
Turberville ( Design Consultant) and so it goes...The project stalled
and life took a different turn. Figlia Bella became a distant memory.
Fast forward 25 years: 20 months ago a chance meeting with a
fellow creative inspired me to dust off the screenplay I had all but
forgotten. I can't explain why, but it was a calling, and I just KNEW
this was the moment to resurrect Figlia Bella. Over the last 20
months the original screenplay has been developed, re-worked and
re-imagined to what it is today...My Epic Masterpiece!
Everything about Figlia Bella is large in scope. Each and every
element (costumes, sets, dialogue, etc.) has been
bespoke...custom made. Iliana's New York and Italy are magical
places and it is my vision to present a world that is unique and
romantic, both beautiful and surreal. I intend to use the medium of
Film (shooting in 35 mm) in a way that is rarely, if ever, seen

3. anymore.
Figlia Bella exists in a glamorous and decadent world that is
magical, alluring, confronting, and almost always sexy. Iliana is a
product of her particular zeitgeist. The films narrative is supported
by the music and the fashion, the nightlife and the partying that
young adults living single lives in Manhattan are prone to do... and
no one does it quite like Iliana. Mildred Pierce, Holly Golightly, Sally
Bowles, Marla Singer...Hollywood used to be in the icon
business...Iliana Moretti is an icon. Hollywood used to be in the
Romance business...Figlia Bella is a romance.
Films are supposed to use the medium and experiment with the
form. Figlia Bella is an original film telling a simple story in a highly
artistic way. The artists I will collaborate with are going to create

4. these magical worlds in New York and Italy...with the lights and
cameras and sets and the illusion of cinema rather than computers.
Figlia Bella is old school and we are making this film the old
fashioned way!
Figlia Bella is almost (kind of) like the Wizard of Oz ...in reverse.
Iliana's New York is an invasive and confronting place, Noir in a
way; whereas the farm, village and wheat fields of Abruzzo, Italy,
finally offer Iliana a chance to reflect and heal on her inner journey.
With its own surreal quality and characters Italy acts as the healing
respite that helps Iliana come to terms with her inner demons.
A big Romantic Rock 'N' Roll Love Story, Figlia Bella is the ultimate
"Date Movie" as we experince how one young man's love and
commitment can help to motivate, and heal, this young
woman's personal battle to over come her psychological struggles
and fears of vulnerablity in every aspect of her life.

5. Think of Figlia Bella as a musical without it being “A Musical”. No
one breaks into song and dance however the soundtrack acts like a
character in the film, setting the tone and adding to the story. The
57 song soundtrack is designed as an entirely separate character
running a narrative through our love story. The film is 2 hours and
25 minutes of pure entertainment driven by a Rock 'N' Roll
soundtrack that makes the scenes poignant and exhilarating.
Figlia Bella is a collective. The film is built on a platform that allows
artists from many disciplines to make art within the epic scale of this
cinematic vision. More than usual on films, I intend to allow many
artists to take the DNA of Figlia Bella and bring something to the
cinematic execution that will elevate this film to join the ranks of
timeless classics. Actors, musicians, graffiti artists, magicians,
fashion designers, hair and makeup, cinematographer, editors- are
all part of the collective that is Figlia Bella.

6. This film is a work of great passion for me and others. During the
course of its development I have enrolled many amazing artists who
have expressed interest in collaborating on my film (from actors to
production creatives) and I consider it a strong affirmation that
Figlia Bella is a unique cinematic vision that both excites and
inspires.
“There is nothing like this" is what i hear most often and that
compels the adventurer in me. The opportunity to create a film
about this iconic character Iliana Moretti, the world she lives in and
the journey we take with her, makes this the most worthy of
endeavors. There is no heroine quite like her on our screen today,
and she is, in every way, real and accessable to our audience. Her
struggles are real and her need to find peace and happiness in her
world is real. Figlia bella is an exercise in Hyper Realism taking
place in a magical and enchanted environment. A place where a
small voice does count for much in the world.
~ Michael Roth
Talk about the Passion