White Lies 

White Lies 

Alba Zari, Italy, 2025, 99’ 

In this personal documentary, the filmmaker sets upon a journey to dissolve the fog of lies and silence about her childhood, spent with her mother and grandmother in the Children of God cult in Thailand. 

The story of Alba, an artist who uses her art to explore a past that does not belong to her. Born into the controversial Children of God sect, she has no memories of her childhood. Driven by a desire for truth, Alba embarks on a painful confrontation with her mother and grandmother to understand the reasons that led them to join the cult and the painful consequences of those choices. A touching and intimate portrait of her search for identity, a journey that delves deep into family wounds. 

“White Lies stems from the need to tell my family story: an intimate investigation into the choices, silences and omissions that have marked three generations of women – Rosa, Ivana and me… The film aspires to be a space for recognition and reflection for those who have experienced abuse, coercion or trauma related to complex family relationships. The story becomes a tool for liberation, an invitation to use storytelling to break the chain of trauma and build new ways of dealing with and understanding the past.” Alba Zari 

Alba Zari, a graduate of DAMS Bologna, studied at the International Centre of Photography in New York and at NABA in Milan. She uses photography for investigation and self-analysis of memory and identity. Her nomadic life influences her exploration of fragility and marginality. Her works have been exhibited at international festivals and museums, including MAXXI in Rome, London Art Fair, Circulation Paris and many others. His short film FreiKörperKultur (2021) was presented in Venice at the International Critics’ Week. 

With support from the Italian Cultural Institute. 

Talk: Alba Zari, Manuela Buono