It’s interesting to see a documentary exploring the challenges for a new mother returning to work – and when that new mother happens to be a prima ballerina, the results are especially fascinating. Laura Kaehr’s engrossing documentary Becoming Giulia won the Audience Award at the Zurich Film Festival, and follows the charismatic Giulia Tonelli, an Italian dancer at the Zurich Opera. Shot over three years, it’s an insight into her profession as well as a portrait of parenthood and, as the film evolves, life in lockdown.
Four months after giving birth, Tonelli is preparing to come back to the stage. We see her orderly life at home with her husband, and the time they enjoy with their baby. We see the joy and nerves when she returns to the Opera House. “This is like being back home again,” she says, before adding, “I’ve never been away from the stage this long.”
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She reunites warmly with fellow dancers, and enters rehearsals for upcoming productions. But – despite the fact that more dancers are having babies these days – the expectations on a prima ballerina do not take children into account. Giulia’s schedule is punishing. Kaehr’s camera silently observes her talking to her husband and fellow dancers about work-life management. Sometimes she talks to camera.
There’s never a sense of self-pity: this is a woman who has willingly chosen this work life, and is aware of the privileged position she is in. But it’s also intriguing to watch her try to navigate her new circumstances. “My son enriches my life,” she says. “He touches me more than this. But I missed my identity… My identity as Giulia. I am this too.”
It’s a sentiment many working parents might relate to, even if their circumstances are wildly different, and Kaehr quietly explores the obstacles in Giulia’s way. By following her day-to-day working life, she exposes details of the system, and the varying approaches of choreographers. Some of the most uplifting scenes come when Giulia meets and works with choreographer Cathy Marston, who is also a mother. These are two highly professional and talented women at the top of their game, who connect artistically as well as emotionally. The fact that they work so well together makes a feminist statement that, like many others in this film, doesn’t need to be articulated.
When lockdown hits, Giulia and her husband become a normal couple again, scouring the house for a bit of wine they can share before shrugging their shoulders and awaiting whatever the world brings. And as their son Japoco grows, he becomes a bigger part of the film.
Kaehr has a joint cinematography credit with Felix von Muralt and Stéphane Kuthy, and there are many visually striking moments leading up to a delightful final scene. Japoco joins his mother and another ballerina in the beautifully-lit rehearsal studio, toddling around and dancing with them as his masked father looks on, tears of joy in his eyes. This sums up the spirit of Becoming Giulia, as it celebrates progress, connection, parenthood and dance.
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