LIANA DOGNINI
writer/director
Born and raised in Milano, Liana spent much of her youth
as a delinquent student of agriculture. The short career in
odd jobs that followed finally persuaded her to leave the
Po' Valley, and at the age of 22, she arrived in England.
Since then she has been pursuing the art of communication,
first in photography, then in film, animation and writing.
She trained at the London College of Printing and at the
National Film School. In 1988 she made her first film ‘The
Happiest Dog in Space’, which was co-written
with Simon Ashdown. In 1994 she made ‘The Cannon Woman’ an
impossible love story between a circus fat lady and her slim
assistant. In 1997 with ONE EYE, a tale of misguided parental
love, Liana won a number of awards including best student
film at the Zagreb FF, Best Film at ANIMAR, Best Film at Castelli
Animati, and went to Cannes FF as part of Cinefondation.
In 1998, tired of drawing, but not of typing, Liana turned
to writing, joining forces with director Lynne Ramsay on the
adaptation of MORVERN
CALLAR, a novel by Alan Warner. Premiered
at Cannes, the film won critical acclaim and numerous awards,
amongst which the FIPRESCI New Director Award, and the Los
Angeles Film Critics Association New Generation Award.
In 2000, missing making films with her own hands, she made
BYE BYE, a short animated film about a young child grappling
with the notion of death. The film won the Jury Prize at the
Castelli Animati FF in Rome and was screened amongst other
places at Rotterdam, Annecy and Tokyo.
In 2001, with director Lynne Ramsay, Liana started the adaptation
of ‘The Lovely Bones’ by Alice Sebold.
Sadly in 2004, under financial pressure, the project was sold
on to a ‘bigger’ director.
Liana is currently writing an original feature project, CRAZY
DAISY, developed by Animus Films, which she will also direct.
The film explores the themes of adolescence, identity and
social control, with the story of young Daisy, a mentally
impaired girl who strives to be normal and hitchhikes her
way through sexual discovery.
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