Campus
- Downtown Toronto (St. George)
Areas of Interest
- Italian pedagogy
- Italian-Canadian studies
- History of the Italian Language
- Italian Linguistics
- Dialectology
- 20th-Century Italian Cinema
- Medieval and Contemporary (1800-present)
- Italian Literature
- Italian Culture
- Religious Texts
Working Dissertation
Title
Supervisors
Description
Giulia Anna Masina, better known as Giulietta, has been associated with several famous names such as Gelsomina, Cabiria, Ginger, Giulietta (character), Fellini’s wife, and Fellini’s muse. Federico Fellini, the world-renowned director, owes much of his success to his wife and lifelong partner of 50 years. However, beyond Fellini, who is Masina? Sadly, her own achievements are often overlooked due to the fame of her celebrated husband. This thesis intends to correct this critical oversight by exploring Masina’s career with and without Fellini, using performance theory and star studies. The goal is to paint a more detailed and complex picture of this multi-talented performer, reclaiming her from the marginality of studies devoted only to Fellini and his collaborators.
Biography
Giovanna C. Lisena is a Direct Entry to Ph.D. student and Course Instructor at the Department of Italian Studies - University of Toronto. She received her Honour, Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction from the University of Toronto with a double major in Italian and European Studies and a minor in Spanish. In collaboration with Università Roma Tre and the University of Toronto, Giovanna’s doctoral thesis focuses on Giulietta Masina's career through the media (Masina beyond Fellini: Theatre, Radio, Cinema and Television) [under the supervision of Professor Alberto Zambenedetti]. In addition to Italian cinema, her interests include Italian pedagogy, Italian-Canadian studies, the history of the Italian language, Italian linguistics, dialectology, the Middle Ages, the contemporary (1800-present), Italian literature and culture and religious texts. She has been an editorial assistant for Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies since March of 2023. For JICMS (Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies) she performs various academic tasks that require precision, attention to detail, and patience. When editing academic texts and providing feedback, she interacts with authors in a professional manner. She treats unpublished materials with academic discretion and collaborates with the Editor in a professional and timely manner. She familiarizes herself with the editorial guidelines and policies of the journal, works independently, and maintains prompt communication with the Editor. Giovanna has also acted as Communications Coordinator for the Department of Italian Studies, during which time she curated the Department’s social media channels, organized events and assisted with the promotion of the Department and its community.
Publication:
(2021). Review of: Fellini’s Films and Commercials: From Postwar to Postmodern, Frank Burke (2020). Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies. Volume 9. Issue 1. 155-158. https://doi.org/10.1386/jicms_00057_5