Issue #144
Cristina Lippolis Rambaldi
L'Albatro Errante
Cristina Rambaldi is a Los Angeles-based Actress, Writer and Producer. Granddaughter of three-time Academy Award Winner Carlo Rambaldi, an Italian special effects virtuoso who was best known as the father of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”, Cristina was raised between Los Angeles and various cities in Italy. At age 19 she moved to New York to attend the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Since then she has gone on to appear in many theatre productions on both coasts, and in Italian and American television series and award-winning short films. “Show me what you got”, her first feature film in a lead role, recently won Best Film at the Taormina International Film Festival and will be receiving its US premiere next month (October 2019).
I am a storyteller, and that’s what I do for fun, as my grandmother taught me that if you choose a job you love, you’ll never have to work a day. Most of my life revolves around my passion, which is great because it means I get to be exposed to a lot of different experiences. I also love to paint and have a soft spot for most things that have to do with philosophy, art and outer space.
I was raised between Los Angeles and Italy, but I moved to New York to study acting after graduating from the Liceo Classico. After 6 years in New York, I decided it was time for me to move back to Los Angeles, mostly because I felt it was the right moment to move on and explore the possibilities that Hollywood had to offer.
I don’t think I have a “best” memory, there are so many! But there is a particular one that comes to mind, which is a day on set when we were shooting “Show Me What You Got”. We were shooting in Paradise Cove and had a 4 a.m. call time. The sun came up while we were shooting this scene I really love and even though it was foggy and kind of cold, I was overwhelmed by joy and the deepest sense of gratitude: I was making a movie with incredible people I admired, in a place that was nothing short of breathtaking. I was living my dream! I could have died there and then and I would have been happy. That was definitely a moment I’ll never forget. Also, last September I skydived out on the coast. That is another one of my favorite memories so far.
“Nothing’s lost forever. In this world, there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we’ve left behind, and dreaming ahead.” – Tony Kushner, Perestroika.
I feel that Travel Town might somehow be the embodiment of that line, which happens to be one of my all-time favorites. I love strolling through the trains, imagining the stories of the people that used to ride them in their days. I like basking in the bitter-sweet melancholy that place exudes. As for the outfit, it was more of an instinctive choice rather than an intentional one.
I think it’s a beautiful opportunity to tell the stories of those of us who have left home but haven’t forgotten our roots. I was very inspired by the interviews I read and I feel incredibly humbled to be part of this beautiful community.
It’s a huge honor to be associated with such a vibrant, dynamic, and multi-layered culture. I hope I’m doing it justice, I’m definitely trying my best to.
