Elena Ravano Zanardi Landi is an Italian twenty- one year old girl born actress. Don't call her Elena!. She hates it, because her official name is used by the family when they are disappointed with her. Everyone nicknames her Lele. She is a books' eater who identifies herself into what she reads. Among her favorite books are “The Alchemist” by Paul Coelho and “The Profet” by Kahlil Gibran. She is also a melomaniac, common for someone with the same origins of Luciano Pavarotti. She is very fond of painting especially Impressionism.

During her gap year, she spent six months in Paris and to relax she used to spend hours in the Impressionists’ art section of the"Galerie D'Orsay".

She fell in love with Van Gogh after reading his biography. Lele has grown up with a rigid discipline and self-control but also with the affection and the warmth of her family, a peculiarity of Emilia Romagna's people. Lele is used to frequent European Courts in official and casual circumstances. Her life is a show. In informal occasions, she is the most funny, tender, sensible and deep person one can meet. Lele has no difficulty to get along with people. She is accustomed to talk to anyone on any topic. She chooses her friends only for elective affinities not for social status. She is adaptable, she has been awarded with the silver Duke of Edinburgh. During the requested camping weekend, which could be perceived as a survival training, unfortunately for her she faced the worst weather possible for Italy in that season. There was pouring rain for three days. Her education and this experience enabled Lele to sleep on a floor with the same grace as in a Royal Palace. She can travel in any possible way may be just to see a far friend or to view a Van Gogh exhibition with a lastminute train or flight ticket leaving at anytime. When talking to her, she conveys confidence, warmth, vividness. She is always organising something like a Halloween special party or a kind surprise for some friends. Lele is open-minded. It is difficult to find someone who does not appreciate her.

ELENA

RAVANO

ZANARDI

LANDI

A BORN ACTRESS

PRINCESS

OF

FAIRIES

by Camilla Pinto

Her mother, the Countess Rita Zanardi Landi di Veano, works side by side her brother in Public Relations. Lele's uncle, Count Orazio Zanardi Landi di Veano, is one of the first Italian Aristocrats, their noble title comes from the Lepanto Battle (1571), who has opened his Castle, Rivalta, to the public. He is the President of the Castle's Association of Ducati of Parma and Piacenza. A Resort in the Castle’s village is close to be completed to welcome the several visitors for cultural and commercial Conventions. Her HRH Princess Margaret was often guest of Lele's grandmother at Rivalta. Because of this privileged Landi family relationship with HRH Princess  Margaret, HRH has unveiled the new building of the Sir James Henderson British School of Milan where Lele has been awarded her A Levels. As soon as she arrived at SJHS (at the beginning of GCSEs), she has been the star of the school, role playing, singing as soprano soloist or choirist.

She has always been avilable also for theatrical make up and scene making. In Schools' assembly and ceremonies, she was often making speeches. Lele has never come across as a show off person because everyone understood her humanity. According to the British System, the SJHS of Milan has excellent drama, music departments that put on stage theatrical performances and concerts of good level publically represented. These can take place in Schools, Churches, in the Rivalta Castle, in Madrid or Rome. It is not peculiar that other students such as Katy Saunders tread the stage (a young promise of Italian film industry who interpreted the role of Sibilla Aleramo in youth. In April in Italy has come out her new film). For her social role, Lele is accustomed to act, but her shiness is well hidden undeneath her extrovertness. She is one of the most sensible persons I know. Lele is extremely lively: Whenever she shows up, one feels her presence, she lightens the room up, though in the same time she has been taught self-control when requested. She reminds me of actress Sarah-Jessica Parker. Lele likes films such as “The Lord of the Rings”, she has read the trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien and "Gone with the wind” by Victor Fleming. As soon as one quotes her this story she lightens up. She has her personal 'Tara', her roots, her earth, with her river Trebbia which flows under the Castle walls. They are the medicine for her and her mother to mend life injuries and the fireplace to welcome anykind of guests with warmth. Lele can be sweet and strong, just like Scarlet O'Hara. She dreams of a red ball dress as one of the Rubens' paintings but the rigid protocol of her grandmother until now has forbidden it because she is too young. She has recorded two test CDs of which she wrote the lyrics: she is a poetess too. In terms of contemporary music Lele loves U2, Police, Tiziano Ferro, Anastacia and Queen, “Cranberries” in particular the songs ‘Zombie’ and ‘Animal Instinct’. Lele has just been the main character of a short film called “Heroines”: subject and make by Gea Politi, a project for Goldsmith College in London. It talks about three girls interpreted by Lele, Sarah-Jane Perotti Flowers and Gea Politi. They are sitting infront of the television watching “Sex and the

City”. Lele role plays a girl of her age who is crazy about shopping, men and fun-loving. Sarah- Jane acts the girl highly interested in art exhibitions and Gea plays the role of the daydreamer girl. They vaguely resemble the stars of the serial. In this short film Lele acts herself. The trio was well chosen and tested because they were schoolmates just like "Dawson's Creek" characters. Her ease in acting also appears in her skill in learning new languages. She speaks Italian, English, American, Spanish, French and a bit of Swedish immediately taking up the local accent. It is renown that good actresses are meant to be able to identify themselves in any circumstance and be skillful. Lele has pursued acting with the approach of the British School, I remember the first time I met her at a gym course taught by a common friend of our mothers for the Parish children. She seemed to be so lazy! Instead of training, she was sleeping on the excercise matrasse. At that time she was eleven years old attending the Italian School. She was bored and not stimulated by the Italian system. Lele attended also the Scottish Youth Theater a summer course, where she learned scottishcockney. In Italy one becomes actor appearing on television shows or on beauty contests and then studies acting and diction with private teachers. Greta Seacrat, the American teacher of actors such as Dustin Hoffman makes stage also all over Europe(www.gretaseacat.com). As in France most of the actors are sons of actors or of filmmakers. In the UK good actors come from Schools where they are taught to act, dance, sing and gesture. The London Guildhall School in Italy is reknowned because of television spot of Vigorsol chewing gum acted by one of its pupils. Lele is a chic girl. Among her favourite Fashion designer labels are Gucci, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Armani, but she can also wear a Diesel or a Zara item for a ball with the same properness. Manolo Blahnik and Caovilla are her favorite shoe labels, as much as Louis Vuitton for handbags. Lele has acting in her veins and she is vibrant. We became close almost like brother and sister in Paris, at the time my bother, who has been her schoolmate, nicknamed her 'Perfect Storm'.

CONTENTS  |  EDITOR’S LETTER

CONTACTS

Home

Editor’s Letter

Contributors & Thanks

Contacts

Francesca Di Robilant

Gabriella Swallow

Elena Ravano Zanardi Landi

Isabel McCeekan

Alessandro Ubezio

Alessia Von Slawik

Kim Brown

NEWPEOPLE Magazine