It's a great pleasure to present you this amazing interview with the actress and music performer Désirée Giorgetti. We had a long chat together and this is the interview:

You live in France. In recent years, French cinema has produced perhaps the most interesting horror films in the industry. In your opinion, what is the reason behind this?

I moved to France a little before the Covid pandemic, obviously I couldn't predict it, but in general, it's because, beyond horror films, France produces films of extremely high quality, and there is a significant investment in the film industry. Additionally, people go to the cinemas, even now in the post-Covid era, theaters are always full, and it's always possible to watch films in their original language. There is a lot of attention and respect for culture and art, which is taken into great consideration. I believe this attitude extends to all genres and areas. It's also true that France produces a lot of comedies of a certain quality and depth. As for horror, I think it's part of the overall commitment of France to produce films and give great value to cinema.

You have a successful career in both cinema and music. Which elements do these two paths have in common?

Well, first of all, thank you very much. As for music, it was actually my first love. Ever since I was a child, since I was three years old, I wanted to be a singer. Acting came later when I was 20 years old. By the way, I had to surrender to it because I come from a family of actors, and I realized that the acting gene had also been passed down to me. I don't see these two paths separately. In reality, I started singing again at the age of 30 because I had experienced a creative block. I embarked on a project of electronic music, synth-pop, somewhat in the style of Depeche Mode. We call ourselves AfterImage23. I love writing my songs, drawing from my imagination and my love for cinema. When I write songs, I actually visualize them. I already have in mind what a potential music video could be like. For me, ideally, I would like these two paths to merge. I would love to write songs for films and include my songs in upcoming films that I'm preparing as a writer. I want to create music videos that have a strong cinematographic aspect. So far, we have only made one video, but I envision more in the future.

Tell us about the film you are currently working on.

Regarding the film I'm working on at the moment, I just finished shooting the latest Sci-Fi Horror film called "Dark Parasite" with Luca Boni and Marco Ristori. I play the lead role in the film, which is in English, and it falls within the horror genre. I'm also involved in the writing of two projects, one of which is top secret, and the other has been in development for a few years. It's a true story about a late-term abortion, designed as a sort of documentary. I'm also continuing with auditions, so there are some exciting possibilities that I entrust to the universe at the moment.

Talk to us about your fears. What scares you the most?

What scares me the most is loneliness. The feeling of being alone even when surrounded by other people. So, what I always seek is human connection to break down the barriers of formality. It's a moment when I feel isolated even in the presence of others, and that is something that frightens me a lot. In fact, I have always been very sensitive to those who live alone on the streets. The idea devastates me. Here, I quote one of my songs, which is actually inspired by a poem by Paul Eluard that says, "One day, perhaps, children will laugh at the dark legend in which a man sheds tears in solitude.".
I am very frightened by the fact that sometimes, in quotes, we give up our human side in order to protect ourselves, even though it is actually what allows us to connect.

Have you ever had any paranormal experiences? Tell us about one.

I'm not sure if I would define it as a paranormal experience. I know it could also be due to a neurological disorder I have, a rare condition called Visual Snow, where a part of my brain is hyper-excited all the time and I see everything in pixels. It's a rare condition, and not much is known about it. It started being studied in 2014, so there is still very little information available, and there is currently no cure. But throughout my adolescence and even until now, I have had many experiences of sleep paralysis and flashbacks. I believe in past lives since I am a Buddhist, so I believe in both past and future lives, and I have had some reminiscences of past lives, memories, and suggestions. But during these sleep paralyses, I often had sensations and memories that connected me to psychiatric hospitals and mental illnesses. I am very sensitive to this topic, I must admit. In fact, I don't think it's a coincidence that I ended up doing horror films. I often say that if I hadn't found this profession as an actress, I probably would have ended up in a psychiatric hospital myself, even in this life.

Choosing to be an actress is often a big gamble. Has your family always been supportive of your choice?

Yes, as far as my family is concerned, my father and my whole family were there waiting and thinking, "When will Desirée realize that she wants to be an actress too?" because everyone in my family is an actor. It's a bit like being born into a family of doctors and having your relatives expecting you to become a doctor. However, until I was 20, I wanted to be a singer and a criminologist. I have always had a great interest in the dark side of human beings. So when I finally surrendered at the age of 20, I realized that I also wanted to be on stage. It was actually after watching a play by Sarah Kane, "4.48 Psychosis," which is the monologue she wrote before committing suicide in a psychiatric hospital. That's why I mentioned this connection earlier. I realized that I wanted to be an actress too, and the news was very well received. I must say that I am very fortunate because my family supports me 100% in this choice.

If you had to start over with another profession, what would you choose?

If I had to start over with another profession... I must say that I have always been very drawn to everything related to special effects. So, even though I can't imagine myself doing anything else now, as what I do is my great love and passion and I truly identify with it, I would probably still choose something within the film industry. There's not much to be done, I don't see myself elsewhere, at least in this life. In the next one, who knows? But in this life, special effects, that's what comes to mind.

Do your friends and the people you socialize with belong to the same work environment as you?

Let's say that 90% of the people I know belong to the same work environment as me. Fortunately, since I started practicing Buddhism, I have also started to make contacts with people who are not actors or involved in the film industry. This is very important because we tend to create small bubbles and lose touch with reality. From my point of view, it is very important for an artist to be in contact with society and realize that what they do is for those who don't do this profession.

Going back to music, tell us about your music projects and the music you enjoy.

I love electronic music very much, and that's the kind of music I make. I'm also very connected to the 80s, so synth-pop is truly my genre. In fact, it was a great encounter with the members of my band where we have a new entry, a drummer, and we are starting to think about doing live performances. I have just finished recording our latest song, which I'm really excited about. It's called "FEAR," which stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real." It's a mixed song, mainly in English, as I love writing in both English and French. This one is predominantly in English with some parts in French. We also released our first music video this year for the song "L'amie Imaginaire," which tells the story of an imaginary friend who was forgotten by the child who created her. It represents a bit of the creative side that every human being possesses but often forgets or sets aside, thinking that it is not necessary or useful. I believe it is essential to cultivate that creativity. That's what I do when I write songs. I like to explore themes that are dear to me, such as regression hypnosis and lucid dreams. "FEAR," for example, tells the story of a panic attack. Another song I wrote in collaboration with another singer was "Schizophrenia." So, these are my themes.

Now we want to know about your cinema preferences and if you have a favorite horror film and director.

I clearly love horror cinema, but not only that, I enjoy anything visionary and dystopian. I loved "The Handmaid's Tale" series. I also appreciate dramas. When I watch a film, I look beyond the story and pay attention to the actors' performances; I find that very fascinating. I loved "Titane" by Julia Ducournau, and one of my aspirations is to work with her. But I also love other genres. I'm a fan of Aronofsky. I loved "The Whale" and "Requiem for a Dream." All of this inspires me a lot, and I adore "Black Swan." That's truly my world, and those are the films I would like to be a part of.

Lastly, share a dream with us, whether it's related to your work or not.

I don't want to call it a dream, but rather a goal. My goal is to have my own production company and be able to connect people. This is closely related to my work because it truly is my life. I am very sensitive to this, and I know what it means to have talent but perhaps not have the connections or means to access opportunities. I would love to be a talent scout, to connect people, and what drives me is truly the heart. So, I would like to create a network of people who do this job, driven by a pure desire for communication to connect heart to heart. This is something that I value a lot. Even when I watch a film, as soon as I sense the director's ego, I become disengaged. I need to feel the sincerity of the message. I have always believed that cinema can change people and that it plays a fundamental role in society because it connects us with emotions. Therefore, my goal is to generate emotions and create films that can endure, move, and touch people's feelings even after my death.

It was such a pleasure to have this interview with Desirée. She's a really special actress and a beautiful person.

Here is a list of pages related to her:
Désirée Giorgetti Official Website
Désirée Giorgetti Instagram Page
Désirée Giorgetti IMDB Page
Désirée Giorgetti Showreel

DARK PARASITE TRAILER

AFTERIMAGE 23 music video