Sara Alessandrini: From Rome to LA, Rewriting the Narrative

Hey, One more thing before we go. What drives someone to leave behind engineering in Rome? Leap into filmmaking across continents to Los Angeles.For Sarah Alessandrini, it was tenacity, a vision and the belief that stories can change the way we see the world. Her journey from Italy to Hollywood and from feature film to award winning docuseries is a masterclass in resilience and creative courage.Today we're going to uncover what it takes to build a project against the odds, to the lessons learned along the way and how storytelling can challenge the narratives we're told and are taught. Stay tuned. I'm your host, Michael Hirst. Welcome to One more thing before you go.Today on One more thing before you go, we're joined by Italian filmmaker and social commentator Sarah Alessandrini.She is the creator of this is what New Yorkers say, a five part docu series exploring the resignation of former New York governor Andrew Cuomo and through the voices of everyday New Yorkers. But Sarah's journey didn't begin in politics. It began with a leap of faith. From studying electronic engineering in Rome to pursuing filmmaking.From working in the Italian film industry to relocate into Los Angeles, Sarah has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, social criticism and civic awareness. Today we're going to explore her motives, her methods and her successes and failures and the personal journey that shaped her voice as a filmmaker.Welcome to the show, Sarah.

Hi Michael. Thank you for having me. Actually I took many leap of faith, not just one. Feels like constantly I take leap of phase.Eventually something is going to happen.

Always, as always, life is a journey. Sometimes we have many obstacles. Like the seven hills of Rome. Right?

But yeah, actually I was doing engineering in my city. So I'm from the north of Italy. It's called Cesena, it's near Bologna. That's where I was studying like for in high school.I was studying electronic and telecommunication because the educational system is very different in Italy. So I was getting a major in that in high school and then I did engineering. But I always wanted to go to Rome anyway to study film.So that's when first I was like, I'm not sure if I have what it takes to go. I was like not very self confident. So I was like, I'm going to just stay here in my city, keep doing, I have my friends here.But then it was impossible. Like I just want to, like I just felt that call inside. I have to do this, I have to do this.So eventually after three years, I was like, I'm going to try and see what happens? And. And my dream was actually to come to this country, but I never knew how to do that because of the visa. Obviously, it's very difficult.Like, it's not that my family is rich and so, like, it's not something you can just do, so. And so I gave up my dreams when I. After high school, I gave up my dreams, and seven years later, I was actually living here.So I guess I wasn't very good at giving up.

But you've achieved something that's really magnificent, especially when you watch this documented docu series. I think what you've done. It started off as a film, I think, originally. I mean, it hit the film festival markets.

Yeah. So I was like, in New York and in Los Angeles also, too. But I focus in New York because obviously it's mainly a New York story.

But yeah, well, it's. It's an achievement, especially within filmmaking, even to get accepted to film festivals. I ran to film festivals actually.Used to be I did that many, many years ago. And the process to get into a film festival is diligent. So to achieve that is like an amazing thing in itself. But I, like, kind of start.I know we were. You give us a quick rundown where you had gone, what your passion was, your purpose was.You found your purpose in your passion with filmmaking and storytelling. From that perspective, what drew you to filmmaking? I mean, you said it was like, I really wanted to do this. You know, I grew up with films and tv.It was my babysitter, unfortunately. So I fell in love with the Madame. You know, the mode island of. Of that genre of creating stories through media, through the TV and through the.The film genre.

Yeah, I mean, similar for me. Like, I just like, felt I never really belonged where I was in my city. I just felt like I couldn't really understand people.And so I just ended up, like, watching a lot of movies. And movies made so much sense. So it was for me, through movies, I was able to understand life better since I was a kid.So that was pretty much like how I started. I just got so obsessed with movies because they made sense and they gave me that structure to understand life, to understand people.And so I was just very passionate about them. And then eventually someone told me, oh, maybe you should be a director.And I was not even thinking about making it like, something real in my life because I come from, like, an area of Italy where it's more like technical, so people are more like mechanic, engineers, chef, obviously, because, like, food is everywhere in Italy. But yeah, yeah. So it was it was different to think about, like, making movies.So I didn't really think about, like, I was my dream to work in the movie industry somehow. But I didn't really know how, which role and. But I always liked doing everything.So that's where it was very useful when I made this documentary, because I've done everything in the movie industry because, like, to me, it was just too boring, I guess, the idea to be just the director or just something else. So when I was in Rome, I studied in a school there, and I was just like, learning everything. I was taking every job possible, every position.So when I approached my documentary, like, I didn't even. I was not even planning to make a documentary. Like, it's not that I was like, I want to make a movie. Let's find the topic.No, I was just, like, living my life. I was happy where I was. I was working at the point at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles.So it's like, for the American Cinematheque, it was like an art organization. So it was a different way to work in movies. Like in the exhibition part, we were doing, like, festivals, premieres, and a lot of, like that.

Do you think your training in what you've learned and what you were working with, engineering, helps you shift towards cinema? Do you think that had an influence on that?

Yeah, I mean, obviously a very technical mentality because, like, coming up from, like, that kind of an environment. Like, I always think in a very practical way. I'm not like a creative. Let's daydream.So I'm always like, okay, if I'm gonna do something, I'll do it, like, from the beginning to the end. I'm not like, just try something and then give up. Because that's what you're talking about.There are a lot of people don't make it into film festivals. Don't and don't. They don't finish movies.Like, even a lot of people with a lot of budget, they just don't finish the movie because they don't have, like. They don't have that mentality. You really need the mentality to be like, okay, it's like life or death.I'm gonna take this where it needs to come or I'm not gonna start it. So I'm that type of person.

Yep, it's expensive. It's. It's long hours. It's a lot of work. You really have to put your everything into it. So, yes, I agree with that. I think that. I'm sure that the. The.It's interesting when you, if you don't mind, I need to touch back on something. You said you studied engineering in high school.

It was, it's not called engineering, but it was electronic and telecommunications.Yeah, so yeah, you get a major in high school, like you can either do a generic high school where you learn a little of everything, or you can do, take a major. And so you have to go to a specific school. It's not that like you go to a school where there are all the different majors.You go to a specific school that have, like mine has electronic or they add informatics, some have chemistry, it depends.

That kind of thing.

So. So yeah, you have.And like you spend three years, like the first two years are kind of generic and then the last three years, like the 70% of your classes that you take are like specific about that. So it's like digital, electronic, analogic, electronic, like designing all that. So it's very, it was way more like real stuff than university.University in Italy is very theoretical, right? So. So high school was actually much better than engineering, honestly. So.

Well, that was cool actually. I mean, what an opportunity for someone to be able to grasp some of real world working, you know, skills, a skill set and a knowledge.And instead of just a theoretical aspect of it, which I think is, that's brilliant from that perspective and it forces.

You to start thinking early what you want to do in life. Because like people approach university, college where like they, they're going to just try something they don't know.This way you already start doing something. Like you have to decide when you're like, I don't know, 13, 14 years old.You have to pick well before because when you pick high school, usually you already know you're going to do those kind of majors. So when you're 12, 13 years old, you already have to decide what you want to do. And again, you'll probably change it eventually.But by the time you get to 18 years old, you're already, you already done a lot of like that thinking instead of waiting after like a university and people complain, oh, why did I do this university? And then you're in that here. So yeah, it's. I think it does like a lot of fraud.

Good, good, good. It's a good way, good way to approach it. I think you mentioned that you were working in the film industry in Rome.It's kind of a question in regard to methodology, I guess I want to explore.So when I first went to film school, I had learned to shoot on 16 millimeter film and then we had to have it processed and then we had to rank it down and put it on a beta and then we had to take the beta and then put that into a computer. And then they taught us the whole process from that perspective. So we had to learn actual working with film.Did you start with like film, like cell film or just into digital?

It was already digital because you. I went to school in 2010, so everything was already digital. Okay. You had like the mini dv that was like the closest thing to not digital.But it's still digital obviously. But yeah, that, that's how we were doing it. It was like a two year school and I mean it was great. It was inside Chinichita, so.But it was great because also like one of my teacher, he was actually after the first year he was going to film a movie. Like he was also like a producer director and so he created this movie. It was like half of the people families in Italy were in that movie.So it was not the super big budget obviously for like American standards, but. But obviously it was like a lot of like all the old famous people with the real budget. It was a real movie obviously. So.So we were lucky that like he opened it up to us like if we wanted to be intern, obviously for free, but we got to work there and it was like, it was very interesting the fact that of like class of like 15 people, only three of us said yes. So we got the chance to work for free on a real movie, real budget, real world. Like you went to school for that.And most people prefer just to live their own summer, just go back home and enjoy summer instead of working for free. Well, it was like work hard for me obviously. But it was like it was a real experience because like I was there like for the casting.So before we even started filming. So I was there working in the office and then on while we were filming. Then also I was like through everything.Like I had like a real position and all that type of stuff. So it was really a great experience and I learned so much just by working on one movie.

So that's so cool. Yeah, there's nothing, there's nothing like being on a movie set. It.It really kind of opens your experience to the creativity that's involved, the work that's involved and the opportunity to bring a story to life from, from that perspective. So I was, I was lucky. When I came here to Arizona, I went back to university here. Obviously they were in digital at that point.And because of the digital aspect, it made life so much easier than trying to do it at 16 millimeter film, it just. Yeah, it's like, I will never go back. Won't happen.So do you have anything in particular that motivated your move from Rome or from Italy to Los Angeles? Like.

I grew up, like, watching American movies and everything. I just loved this country. I was just madly in love with this country. It just, like, felt this was where my future was supposed to be.But obviously I never lived here, so obviously, like, yeah, you can dream. You can dream, but until actually you move here, you don't know if you actually want to stay.And so when I was, like, living in Rome at the time, like, after three years, and actually my best friend died, like, best friend that I met there. So obviously I had to think about a lot of stuff about life. Like, we're talking about death. And so I was, like, trying to figure out my life.Things were like. Like, I worked and done different stuff, like in. In Rome. But then my best friend died, and most people were moving out anyway from.From Rome because they couldn't find jobs. And it's very hard over there, like, to really make a living. And there is a lot of nepotism.So, like, yes, you can figure out how to work in projects, but either they don't have a real budget or they only get their friends. So it was, like, still disappointing to be there, and there was no real future. And so I was like.I saw I had some money saved for, like, a trip to United States, and so I just decided to take a month. A friend of mine was living in Boston, and so I decided to visit him. And. And so I came for the first time to this country.I was like, in the Boston area. I saw New York. I fell in love with New York right away. I mean, I enjoyed Boston. It was fine. But until I actually went to New York, like, it was fine.But then New York was like, the real deal. And so then I was like, okay, I have to figure out how. But I didn't know how to move to this country.So then I was like, oh, I'm gonna just go to Australia because it's easier just to have, like, some experience abroad. But I went to Australia. And then I was like, I didn't even want to struggle in Australia because my dream was to come here.So I was like, if I have to struggle, I'm going to struggle for this country, not for a country where I don't want to live. So after a few months, I actually left Australia, went back to Italy, and then tried to figure out a way to come to this country.And then I figured out, came to study a UCLA extension. And then after a year of study, then I found a job for the American Cinematheque. And then things moved in that direction, and then I stayed.I cannot say I loved Los Angeles. I still don't love Los Angeles. Like, it took me a couple of years because Los Angeles, it's a very different cities than New York.So, yeah, I wasn't in love with it. So I wasn't until actually I started getting my life going. I wasn't sure if I was going to say, stay here in this country.So it took a couple of years.

I would say you had the opportunity to take the story of Governor Cuomo's resignation as a. As a topic to. To kind of make an expose out, make a documentary out of it. What compelled you to. To take that story in particular and.And kind of elevate it?

Yeah, like, I mean, in general, like, I start being passionate about politics when I was studying engineering. So when I was in Italy, I started being passionate about politics.And then when I was in Rome, I was actually, like, going to a lot of, like, political events and stuff like that. But then after.After Rome, I kind of got disconnected because, yeah, like, sometime in life, like, you, like, when you care about politics, you're always so focused about in the external world, but then you're not actually figuring out things for yourself. So, like, your personal growth, like, all of that, like, you're so focused on the outside world and you forget to look inside.And so I put politics aside.I was just, like, trying to figure out my life, what I wanted, what I wanted to do, like, just getting jobs, money, and all that survived, figuring out my life. So I wasn't really paying attention to politics anymore. And then during COVID I guess I had some free time.And then I was, like, following politics because of my job, because I was a facility manager. So I was, like, trying to figure out when we would reopen, what the rules were. So I was following a lot of press conferences because of that.And then I just start seeing Cuomo, and I just got passionate about the way he was talking about government. And so it's about, like, making real improvements in the life of people more than the politics were.Like, people are just, like, screaming at each other. It's all the gains. It was about doing the real work. And so I love that. So I was just following what was happening.And then when he was forced to resign, I was like, I have to do something. Like, this is unfair, because I could see how it evolved.But I could see that a lot of people that were not following the story this deep couldn't see what was happening. And so they just trusted the media. They just trusted whatever politician had to say.And so it was like, no, there is, like there is something else that people are not seeing in this story.And also it was like the media and politician were always the one talking and they were saying, oh, the 70% of New Yorkers want him to resign, but what were actually real New Yorkers saying?So I felt like everybody was talking about New Yorkers, everybody was talking about what qualified to do, but no one really cared about hearing what New Yorkers had to say. And because it's very different, like when during COVID obviously there was also recall system here in California with Gavin Newson.But people had the chance to decide what they wanted to do because there is a recall system. So they decided to vote to keep in play him in place. But in New York, there is impeachment.And there are studies talking about how impeachment doesn't really need to have like a very high standard for someone to be impeached in New York obviously didn't happen often, but still it's. It's been a problem. Like they, they said it's a problem the fact that like, there is no clear standard when to impeach someone or not.And so they were trying to impeach to force him to resign. So it just felt it was wrong and someone had to do something. I was not planning to make a movie. I had $800 in my bank account.I couldn't afford to make a movie, but I just felt I had to do it.

I think it's a brilliant. I have to preface this. I grew up in a journalistic atmosphere. My father was a journalist and he was proud of what he did.And this was again, I'm going to age myself. This was like, you know, I'm in my mid-60s, okay? So I.In growing up with my father, before I lost him, I used to go and work in the newsroom with him. I'd sit in the newsroom and watch everybody take their stories. We're like a hundred typewriters going at the same time.And I could see the passion when my father would create a story, when he would say, I'm doing this to tell the truth. I'm doing this to bring this to the public. I'm doing this to bring. But over that time period, you know, I.From a young child until now, and especially in the last, I don't know, probably 10, 10, 12 years I have seen a shift in media, that media is personal opinion. Media is manipulating what they want to society to hear.And I think is motivated by politics, is motivated by any number of things that it shouldn't be, other than the ethical and moral aspect of being able to bring a story truthfully and honestly, with integrity, with the facts out before the public and let them public decide whether or not based on the facts and not based on speculation, not based on hearsay, not based on unsubstantiated, you know, and we've noticed it really, really badly, especially in the last, well, in the last year, year and a half, two years especially, which I find disheartening from that perspective. So I applaud you for bringing it up to a point where people could talk about it.And I think what I appreciate about New Yorkers and what you brought there and your choice in talking to New Yorkers is that they come out and say like it is, there's no, there's no wish wash. There's no, well, you know, maybe it's, I'm going to tell you what I think. And here you are.So do youth, do you feel that your motivation for telling this story from the truth, for telling the story and bringing it to the forefront, what motivated you to pick this story in particular of the hundreds or possibly thousands of other ideas that you may have had?

I mean, I was really not trying to have any idea. It's not really planning to make a movie. It just really felt. I just felt like. So I just like, couldn't stand about this story.Like, I just couldn't, like, because I could see, like the media was what you were saying. They were like always trying to push this idea on people who Cuomo was. And they still do. Like, every time.Like, even you saw in the first episode where I put all the archival foot, at a certain point they accuse him also to abandon his dog. And he's like, what's the reason to make that kind of story?Like, you really have to find someone to interview specifically for that because you're trying to push the idea that he's a horrible human being.And if you look through that as that perspective, every time you read the media, every coverage about him, it's always to try to make him a horrible human being. Even now the New York Post just released an editorial. There is no reason for them to talk about this now.Just because, I guess Cuomo sent this letter to the Democratic Party where he's sharing his thoughts about the Crossroads we are right now, etc. But, but that's the. The New York Post wrote this article, like, pretty much saying that the voters rejected him and they don't want him.Like, he's done. No, don't ever be in the public eye anymore. It's like also 8. What's that, 900,000 New Yorkers voted for him in this election.So we're not talking about, like, no one voted for him, but there was always. They always trying to find reasons to write about him and to make him a horrible human being, a horrible person, Politicians and everything.And I just.That was very different from what I was seeing when I was, like, hearing directly from him and I saw how the media was asking him the question, how they were reporting.Like, when he said something, the media would, like, create this narrative behind what he said, saying this means this, this and that, his tone means this and that, which was very different from my perspective. And so I really wanted to hear what actually real New Yorkers had to say about him.And you see a lot of them, like, speak about him in a very lovely way, and they. They see a different person, a different. Like a different human being. That it's. It's not what the media always portrayed him to be. So.So I guess that was part of it. And the media. Yeah, the fact how the media doesn't do its job and what's the accountability for the media when they don't do their job?So obviously the media needs to be free, but when they're not, when, like when they're not doing their job properly, what's. What do we do?

Coming from growing up with a father that was in the media, you know, it. It. The most important thing that he had in his mind was the integrity in telling the story from the, from the start.And I think you do that brilliantly with, with the voice of New Yorkers. I think that in watching the documentaries, it shows me that you're talking to real people.You're not talking to actors, you're not talking to politicians or pundits or, you know, even administrative staff. From this perspective. You're not going into the office and saying, I want to talk to all these people. You're talking to real people.You're talking to real New Yorkers and asking their opinion. The ones that voted for him to say, what do you think in regard to this? And I agree. Let's talk a bit about. You had this idea.The reality of production only becomes meaningful, like when paired with methods was, you know, how did you make this happen? How did you. You. You said you had a little bit of money in the bank, and documentary filmmaking is expensive. Any kind of filmmaking is expensive.How'd you make it happen?

More than I thought it would actually be, because I didn't really think this through, honestly. Like, it was a very reckless decision I took. But once I took it, I was now going to walk back.Like, doesn't matter what step happening in my life, I'm gonna keep going. So, yeah, I mean, I decided, like, I found some people online that were supportive of him.And so I figure out I can do movies because I wanted to do something. I didn't know what to do, but I was like, well, I have a camera, I have sound equipment. I can just make a movie by myself. Interview people.And first it started, like, I was just thinking, okay, I'm gonna just interview people and maybe just do a few clips to show online or something. I wasn't right away thinking, I'm doing a documentary. And so I was like, that's.But the more I was thinking about all the topics involved, it wasn't just about Cuomo. It was really about, like, the MeToo movement, women empowerment, the media, the Democratic Party, social media, cancel culture.So, like, all these topics that intertwined with this.So then I was like, there is so much more material to have a real conversation, not just to show what they think about Cuomo and what happened in this situation. It was really, let's have a real conversation.But again, until actually, I was in New York interviewing people, I didn't know if I would have enough material because obviously I was. So I found these people online, and I was asking them to help me find people to interview. And so.But I didn't really know if we would have anyone to interview. And then eventually, like, while traveling, these people were amazing. Like, but I didn't know how much they could offer.And a lot of interviews ended up being like an hour and a half. So it was really, like, deep conversation.It's not like the sound bites that you normally see in documentary where someone speaks for, like, 20 seconds and then you cut to someone else. So it was real conversation with real people, as you said.And so first I was like, I mean, I had the equipment already, but I just upgraded my equipment, just got credit card to do that, the usual capitalistic way. So. And then I was lucky because all the stimulus checks, I didn't get them before, but they arrived, like, two weeks before.I. I was traveling before I started traveling, so I got the stimulus checks that helped Me for this, got a tax refund. So I had something at least to kept me going while I was traveling for that week. And then I did everything by myself in a documentary like I am.I was like, all the equipment, obviously, all the positions, what to do sound and everything. Because I've done sound all my life too, so that was easy.And then after I did the editing all by myself, so I was working 9 to 5, a job, low pay job, but it still worked out to keep me going. While I was doing that, in the evening I would go home and edit. And because, I mean, I already know all the footage.So it was very easy for me to do the editing in a couple of months. And it was just because. And you see how it goes from one topic to the next one. But they're all so connected. It's not just random.It's not that you have a new chapter. It's like the people, when they talk, eventually they start a new topic on their own.So that's just how my brain works that can see those kind of pattern connections. And so I was like, in a couple of months I did it, but.But then got worse the situation because the people that I was collaborating with that helped me find the people to interview, then they turned against me. So then they were threatening me with like saying they would sue me and all that kind of stuff.So then I was like going to work 9 to 5 editing and fighting with these people. And at a certain point I had to get a lawyer just to try to mediate with them. But then they really went all the way crazy.And long story short, that eventually pushed them out of the project. But then at this point I was working with a lawyer. So then obviously I couldn't afford to pay a lawyer.So I had to ask help from my parents just to pay for the retainer. And then also with the lawyer, I had to go through at this point like a review. At that point it was just a feature documentary.So there wasn't any archival footage. The archival footage was the most expensive part, I guess. But.But so at that, at this point it was just mainly the, the people talking in the documentary, in the feature. And then I would just. They all. You had to check about what they were saying for defining if there was like any risk for defamation.So all that process. So then I had to get insurance, very expensive process. So then I had to get a loan and they had to get credit cards just to.To pay for the insurance, pay for that. So yeah, I'm still paying my Debt and never.

True filmmaker, true filmmaker. From, from the get go, put it on your credit card, take out the loans, work, you know, from noon to midnight and then some.

So, yeah, it's, it's. It's amazing. Like, it's.I love this country also because it gives you this opportunity that, like, even in Italy, most people don't even have a credit card. So you just live with what you make. And yes, there are some loans, there are some things, but it's not that easy.Like, I'm here, I'm not even a citizen. I'm a person on a visa. And being able to apply for credit cards for loans and get them making, like, little money, it's been great.And obviously it's been a struggle because, like, every month, paying the rent, paying the bills and everything, while I keep getting more and more. Because that at this point, I finished this as a feature documentary, I guess, like in six months pretty much.So it was super quick process because I did everything by myself. Like, I only paid for a friend to do the color correction and another person to do the music. But everything else pretty much was on me.

And a lot of logistical and financial hurdles.

Yeah, like. And you have, you have to learn the process too, because I didn't know about this defamation possibility.So I had to change the editing how I was phrasing certain things. And this was just for the. The first part documentary, that was the easy part. But then.So I went through film festivals and while I was traveling, showing to people, obviously, as, as a documentary, two hours, it's very heavy where people talk, like back and forth. So I was like, I think even for me, like one hour and a half, it's fine. But the last 20 minutes start getting heavy.So that's where I was like, maybe I should split it into episode because anyway, people end up talking about, like topics, like it's two different topics at the beginning, and then they evolve two more topics. So it was easy to think about how to split it.But also because, like this, this way, when it was just interview just the people, you would hear their perspective, but you didn't really see the full story.If he didn't know everything about what happened, and most people didn't know, and even New Yorkers don't know about all the back and forth, all the lawsuits, what happened after he resigned. So there was so much going on. And so I was like, I need to do it. But I thought I was.I would not be able to do it because, like, archival footage is very complicated. You don't own it. You might have to pay a lot of money. I didn't have any money. So then, because I had the lawyer.So then I figure out, okay, I can do like. There is the rule of fair use. So with fair use, you can use the footage, it belongs to someone else, but only if you use it in a very specific way.And some people think, oh, as long as you keep three seconds, you're fine. But that's not how it works. For some clips I had like 30 seconds. So you can use more, you can do that, but.But you have to do it in a way that there is a reason you cannot just like arbitrarily just put that footage there.So I had to go through a review with my lawyer, which took like two years at least, if not more, where I was editing, sending them the editing, and they were sending me, okay, now you cannot use this. You have, you can use to this.So then every time I was like changing the voiceover, adding more to the voiceover so that I could actually use the right footage. So it was like two years. And at this point I was working nine to five plus I was working in the evening, another company just to keep going.And throughout this, I was also actually a student because I was continuing my education and I was starting business during the weekend. I still had all my assignments to do. So it was a pretty crazy thing. Then eventually it was like the beginning of 2024, I finished the school.Then I also quit the other job. So eventually I just ended up doing one job. But it was like a lot of hours and it was so far. I take public transportation in Los Angeles.So yeah, you have to make a lot of sacrifices. For sure.

That is a journey. I mean, it's a passion project, which I think is helpful because it's your passion to create what you're creating and you put a lot of work into it.At what point did it shift from. You said it started off as a feature film and then it went to the five part series, which is what I watched watched.What shifted from the feature film to the five part series was it the. I think you mentioned in a few minutes ago, and correct me if you need, but I think you mentioned that it was easier to control the narrative.

To digest for an audience to watch by its 30 minutes episode rather than watching two hours. It would be easier for them, but also because in general I wanted to add an extra episode.And so originally I thought maybe three episodes would be enough. So the archival footage and then two episodes of interviews.But Then actually I was like, oh, actually it's better because I was talking to some possible distributors. So they also told me better this and that. But then eventually I decided to self distribute it. So I did all of that by myself too. So I mean, it was.Yeah, I mean, it was like I was going through SO2. The first festival was in June 2022. SO. And then I kept going to festival until October.So throughout that process, I mean, I saw that there was one person. It was so funny. So this was like in. In a rural area of western New York. And so it's a very Trump supporter area or in general.But at this festival, there was this person. She hated all politicians. So, like, she was not on one side or the other one. She hated Cuomo.And so while she was watching, she was super nice, but she. While she was watching a documentary, she was taking notes on why she hates Cuomo.And it was just so funny that, like, that's all she was thinking about it. But also she. After watching the documentary, she told me, like, how much she hated Cuomo.She didn't really want to hear about him because she hates him. But the episode, the part where he talks about the MeToo movement and women empowerment, it was very important.And she said, oh, I wish, like, more people watched this part because this is so important. Like, people really need to hear about this. And that is the part that is really pretty much not about Cuomo in the documentary. And now it's.It's his own episode, which is like the episode number four.And so that was a moment where I was like, oh, definitely, like, there is an opportunity, because some people might not really want to listen about Cuomo, but because this documentary is about so many different things, if someone finds value just in that part, then they can just share that episode with other people if that's all they care about it. Because it's. Again, it started with. But it's about much more.

It is about much more.You talk about the MeToo movement, you talk about media and the relation between media and the public and the narrative that's brought, whether it be positive or negative, and how it could control the narrative to such a point that it affects other people's opinions. So it was done very well, actually.And you've won Best Documentary Feature, Upstate New York Film Festival Silver Award, International New York Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature, New York Tri State Film Festival Award of Merit with CinemaFest Award of Merit Impact Doc Awards. Best Documentary. I can't even pronounce that name. So I'm Gonna have to skip that one. I'm sorry, That's. Thank you.Chautauqua International Film Festival, the Cinema New York and Jury Award, New York, Seattle Film Festival, and just so many more. You've had a lot of other honorable mentions in.So obviously I think that, you know, you made, you're able to make an impact on your voice and the voice of others.And interviewing people, especially for a documentary film like that, it's not like a casting call where you call up and say, okay, we need a male and a female and a child and they're going to be this age and they're going to be this and this and this and these are actors that are coming in and they're vying for a part and you pick the best one. These are real people, these are real voices, these are real residents with real opinions, real objectives.And the voice, you present the voice the way it's supposed to be presented, which is admirable from that perspective.

Yeah, I feel like a lot of documentary, like people always want to hear from famous people. They want to hear from the actors, they want to hear from the politicians, whatever. I wanted just to hear from real people.And there are some experts too over there, but like, they're real people talking about perspective.And so, yeah, I know a lot of people, like, I'm also turned off about my documentary because they want that extra thing and sometimes they want to know about these people, what job they do. And I'm like, no, I don't want to tell you what job they do because I want you to listen to what they have to say as a human beings.

So, and that's brilliant because we need to list them as a human being, not just because you're in a particular field or your job.And in this case, everything that you brought to the forefront, all the conversations that you had, those conversations are human conversations, has nothing to do with what they did. So, yeah, well done, well done. I know. You know, there's risk and there's successes and there's failures and so forth.I mean, you've obviously achieved standing in the community, especially within a documentary arena, whether feature film or whether or not in the five part documentary series portion of it, from that perspective, what moments, I just listed off some of your accolades there. There's many more on your website, which, you know, we'll talk about in a moment.What moments of success made you feel the project was truly kind of resonating and that you kind of achieved a little bit of what you wanted to achieve.

It was the first festival. And again, it was a small field festival. It was their first year. There were not that many people in the room.And I mean, I live in Los Angeles, so all my friends are here. So when I was showing the cat or that I was talking about the documentary, I mean, that they didn't say anything bad or good or anything.It was just like, oh, whatever. Like, I don't know why I need to care about this thing sometime. Like, these people.And so when I approached the first film festival, like, it was the first time, like, strangers would watch it. I didn't know what they would feel.And it was very difficult for a festival because one of the people that actually, they like, she was collaborating with me originally. And then, like, she. She was threatening me, like, all that kind of stuff. So she also.The day before the festival, she called the film festival to threaten them and saying, if you show this movie, I'm gonna sue your movie theaters because she doesn't have the rights to show it and everything. So obviously, I showed them the rights, lawyer stuff and everything. So it was fine. Then they screened it.But she was also at the screening, and she traveled, like, hours just to be there. The first screening just, like, to tell me how bad I was and all that. So it was obviously the first pass.It was very difficult because, yeah, in general, like, you don't know how people will perceive it. You don't know what happened.Plus, I had all this crazy situation with, like, this person threatening me and coming there and making a big scene in the theater. But then next to us, there was this guy that eventually, like, he chimed in the conversation. Like, this person left.But this guy started telling me how much he loved the documentary, how much it resonated with him. And you see the. I love in this. It's not about, oh, you like it or not, but you see that people start talking about these topics. It's like.And they talk about, oh, this person said something, this person said this. And I think this. So it really sparks a conversation.And so it was in that moment where, like, for the first time, like, a total stranger, someone who's also from New York, watch it and loved it. And it's not just like he enjoyed it. It was, like, really brought so many conversations, like, so that's what I love about this documentary.It's not about. It's not about, oh, do you like the cinematography or something else? It's like, let's have a real conversation about these topics.That's all it is about. And so that was a great Moment.

Yeah. You brought voice. You brought voice to it, I think, which is really appreciative.It's unfortunate that we have individuals that try to take that voice away from us, especially like the person that came to there and caused so much trouble. Hopefully that situation won't happen again. You want people to walk away with something.You want them to walk away with positive, even a negative, they walk away with the negative. They still walked away with something. They got something out of it. You resonated with them in some form or another. So.Or maybe open their eyes, you know, which I think that in this day and age, sometimes people would need their eyes open a little more than what they are open right now. Because this political. Especially this political environment that's going on currently.

Yeah.

There's no need to be told. Yeah. Do you think you'd ever doubted yourself, felt the project may not succeed?

Did I do what did you think?

You have you. Did you ever doubt yourself? Did you think that you wouldn't succeed?

Myself all the time, like throughout, like, I just. That that was like the. The hardest part of the journey was for me to believe I could make it happen. That.So I had to do a lot like it because you do a lot of spiritual, like, conversation in this podcast. So that for me was definitely like, like I knew I wanted to do it. I was not going to give up.But I knew both monetarily, but also like to think about making a movie all by myself in general. Plus about the topic where everybody else has a very different opinion about it.And also I'm trying to bring like, empathy towards a politician where everybody just want to hate politicians. So it's obviously very challenging documentary to do in general. Plus that. So that obviously what.And I'm still working through that, like figuring out, like learning more about myself, my abilities to make this happen. And in general, like to break through like an industry where you don't have the studio baking and you don't have money, like you don't have people.Obviously you have to find your way to bring this to light. So that definitely I doubted myself. And I don't do anymore. I don't do anymore.But we're talking about maybe I stopped doubting myself four months ago, not like three years ago.

It has been a journey. It has been a journey. And again, what you've created, you have no reason to doubt your end result.It's like a wonderful opportunity for a conversation. And I think that we all need to have conversations. Conversation is the key to communication.If we can't have a conversation, then you can't overcome any obstacles or any of the difficulties or any of the differences that we all share. So you brought the conversation to the forefront and I think you've done it wonderfully. So I got a couple of things I want to cover before we leave.I know that we've got an opportunity for people to connect with you to get to watch the documentary series and to kind of learn more about your other projects you might have up and down. So tell, tell me about you and how to get your, your documentary series and what you're up to next.

Well, my documentary is like now on five platforms, so it's on Apple TV, it's on Tubi, it's on Google Play, YouTube and Zumo. So that's where you can find it.So you can either watch just one episode if you're just interested in like watching an episode or watch the full series is over there. So I don't really have a plan for my future. I'm still trying to figure out. Exactly. So it's, I mean it's a, it's a series now.So if I wanted to do a second season now, I can do it. So I'm not really like obviously there is so much that needs to be tackled in this country.The division and like the extremism that we're all like having to, we're seeing. So, so definitely there are so many more conversation that needs to be. Needs to happen. So I'm just keeping the door open for possibilities. We'll see.

And you have a website. How do they reach you?

Yeah, the website is the. This is what New Yorkers say dot com. So it's very simple. So yeah, you can just go on Google, you can type there the name of the documentary.This is what New Yorkers say. And it should tell you also like where to find it.

And I'll make sure it's in the show notes as well.So people have an easy way just to click it and find you that way, you know, they can especially, you know, if you have something coming down the road, then they can join your community because that's help you to build your community a little bit.

Yeah, they can follow me on social media too, like Instagram, Twitter. Yeah.

How do you hope this is what New Yorkers say will influence conversations about media, about politics and public perception kind of moving forward?

I mean. Yeah, definitely. I just want people to question what they think they know. That is all I hope for.It's like to see, oh, there are different perspectives and also to empower people.Because like even what happened to Cuomo, a lot of people feel the same way as these people in documentary, but because then everybody else in society, the peer pressure, they feel like, oh, I'm not allowed to think this, I'm not allowed to say this.And you know, with all this movement, whether it's the mutual movement or other movements, there is that pressure in society that you have to believe things in a very specific way or you're a horrible human being.So it's also to empower people to hear like what other actually you really have to say with no filters and like empower you to have your own thoughts and to question things. It's really about questioning things. That's, that's the only way society can thrive. People question narratives.

That's brilliant, brilliant words of wisdom.I think that we all should take that opportunity to be able to open our eyes and have a voice, but at the same time understand that everybody else has a voice and that we should use that as a opening our conversation. Sarah Alessandrina reminds us that storytelling is not just about documentary events.It's about questioning narratives, as she just said, amplifying voices and sparking dialogue.Her journey from Italy to Los Angeles, from engineering to filmmaking, and from feature film to docu series is a testament to resilience, creativity and the power of independent vision. Sarah, I want to thank you for joining us.Thank you for sharing your story, thank you for sharing your voice, thank you for this amazing docu series and I really appreciate you being part of humanity.

Yeah, no, thank you so much for having me and to watch my documentaries. Like, yeah, it's always beautiful to talk to other people about it.

It's been a pleasure. What New Yorkers Say is a five part docu series is available on Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play and more. You can find the links in the show notes.It'll take you right to them. That's a wrap for today's Journey. If something sparked your curiosity or moved you, share it.Subscribe, stay connected and head over to YouTube and catch the full video version as well. And remember, you're not just listening, you're part of this story. So until next time, keep seeking, keep growing, never stop asking.And one more thing before you go. Thank you for being part of this community. Thanks for listening to this episode of One More Thing before youe Go.Check out our website@beforeyougopodcast.com youm can find.

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