Isabella Rossellini: Performing Age, Embodying Difference
Isabella Rossellini has always been more than a movie star. From her early career as a model and muse, to her acclaimed performances in films such as Blue Velvet, to her more recent reinventions as an eco-filmmaker, farmer, and advocate for sustainability, she has constantly redefined what it means to be a woman in the public eye.
This year’s WOFFF Lecture, Performing Age, Embodying Difference, is hosted by Professor Sara Pesce, an international expert in film and performance studies at the University of Bologna. In this free, illustrated talk, Professor Pesce looks at how Rossellini has navigated the unrelenting pressures of beauty standards and the industry’s double standards around ageing, while continuing to craft a career full of wit, curiosity and reinvention.
Click here to watch the lecture for free, online, as part of WOFFF25.
Rossellini’s story is not one of retreat but of transformation. After being dismissed by the fashion world in her 40s, she went on to create surreal and hilarious short films about the mating habits of animals, embrace farming and biodiversity on her own land, and reappear on the cover of Vogue in her 70s, wrinkles proudly on show.
She moves fluidly between glamour and the everyday, the spotlight and the sidelines, creating new spaces for women to be visible on their own terms.
Professor Pesce’s lecture unpacks these choices and moments, showing how Rossellini embodies resilience, humour, and the freedom to age differently. The result is an inspiring portrait of a woman who continues to perform, provoke and play, while pointing us toward more sustainable and authentic ways of living.
This event is free to watch online and is available exclusively as part of WOFFF25 Online.
