[Lavagna – The Beach – Blind Man’s Buff – Le Grazie]

A silent amateur film from 1925 depicting scenes of play and companionship on the beach at Lavagna. Shot by Nena Lavello at age 16, it offers a visual record of everyday leisure and social interaction in early 20th-century Italy.

Overview

A brief amateur silent film (1'54", DCP from 9.5mm reversal, 16 fps) without intertitles, sourced from Fondazione Home Movies – Archivio Nazionale del Film di Famiglia, Bologna. It forms part of a larger group of 27 amateur 9.5mm films attributed to Nena Lavello, who was 16 years old at the time of filming. Shot during the spring and summer of 1925, the collection documents a range of domestic and travel scenes, including visits to Sicily, Campania, and northern Italy. This particular film captures moments of leisure and companionship on the beach at Lavagna, reflecting the filmmaker’s early engagement with light, composition, and movement. As noted by Michele Manzolin in the 2025 Pordenone Silent Film Festival catalogue, the footage serves as a visual record of youthful play and friendship, offering insight into the personal and expressive potential of early amateur filmmaking.