Italian cinema has never wanted for charismatic female characters grappling with whatever fate throws at them, indelibly brought to life by iconic actresses. And iconic certainly applies to Jasmine Trinca, a star of contemporary Italian film whose light shines more brightly with every passing year. She plays Fortunata, a single mother devoted to her daughter who dresses hair on the outskirts of Rome. She is determined to quit her arduous job traipsing round to the homes of female clients and to fulfil her dream of opening up her own salon. This vibrant young woman, who, with an impressive show of dignity, values her personal freedom more than anything, has three men on her horizon, each irreversibly influencing her life in different ways. Well-aligned creative duo Sergio Castellitto (direction) and Margaret Mazzantini (story and screenplay) presented their latest full-blooded melodrama all’italiana at the recent festival in Cannes, where Un Certain Regard jury acknowledged Jasmine Trinca’s performance with the Best Actress award.