Art, in all the wrong places

Sometimes magic finds you when you least expect it. That's exactly what happened when, among the many sounds from the Pitt Rivers Museum, I stumbled upon a recording of a night forest in the Central African Republic. I was immediately drawn to the sound because it felt magical. Without even reading the description to know the background of the sound, where it came from or how it came about, I selected it as a basis for my creation, trusting my intuition to guide me toward something special.The Sound Weaver's Incantation is part of Cities and Memory's A Century of Sounds,an ambitious project celebrating the Pitt Rivers Museum's extraordinary audio heritage. This global collaboration brings together artists, collectors, and listeners to reimagine historical and contemporary field recordings, creating new sonic landscapes that honour the past while embracing the present.As an artist who often searches through recorded sounds for inspiration to tell personal stories, I expected this to be just another backdrop for my reflections. But this time it ended up being different. As I began reading about the origin of the sound, chosen purely for its magical quality, I found myself lost in the discovery of a real-life hero.I met legendary ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno – a fantastic human being who devoted his entire life to the collection, protection, and conservation of the sounds and culture of the Bayaka people. From that moment, I knew I couldn't simply use the rainforest sound as a backdrop for my personal musings. I felt the profound need to bring back to life the magic of the forest and the love and passion that Louis Sarno poured into his life's work.Through this piece, I hope to honour Louis Sarno's legacy and the enduring magic of the Bayaka sounds he so lovingly preserved. In a world where so many cultural voices are at risk of being silenced, this incantation serves as both tribute and promise – that with patience, reverence, and a touch of magic, the music of life shall never die.Photo by Jack Taylor on Unsplash

Asylum is an immersive piece that takes listeners into a disorienting world of raw, urgent, whispered confessions layered on a cinematic soundscape worthy of your best psychological thriller. Listeners are left with a vague sense of uneasiness, and one piece of advice: do not look in the kitchen sink.The piece was created for Small Audio Art, the online space by Phoebe McIndoe where audio artists respond to simple prompts, like a kitchen sink, every other month. It's a low-pressure spot for short, creative audio pieces that connect makers worldwide.

This piece reflects a journey from witnessing US events and feeling powerless to taking creative action. As an independent audio producer living in Sardinia (Italy), I could not make sense of my desperation while witnessing ICE violence in Minneapolis. I was horrified, so I decided to channel my energy into creating an incantation, using my skills to feel less powerless. This piece aims to be cathartic resistance and magical defiance against oppression. I used the only weapon that I have, my creativity, as a tool to denounce horrific realities and, hopefully, inspire other creators to use art for activism to contribute to change. Read, share, and speak it aloud. Please note: The protest sound at the end has been recorded in Minneapolis, used courtesy of stevevader101 -- https://freesound.org/s/841767/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Didn’t You Ask for Kids? is a political satirical piece about the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump, all based on the misunderstanding arising from the fact that the word kids means both children and young goats. The piece starts with a weird phone call in which Epstein is informed that the kids ordered are about to be delivered to his island, “just in time for the party with my friend Donald” but when the kids arrive, Epstein is very disappointed, while Trump will still able to find a silver lining.The Biannual Sonic Dash is always a great opportunity to dive into another of those magic moments of high-pressure creation: you have until Sunday to come up with a two-minute audio addressing the prompt emailed to you on Friday. The catch is that you cannot use any pre-existing material, so you have to compose the music and make up the sound effects (if you use any). The prompt for this latest round was “those meddling kids”, yes, the Scooby-Doo catchphrase. I was lucky to have a small, dedicated team (Roman Lillian Uras-Garvin and Romeo Maria Minutolo), and together we brainstormed, wrote, and produced our piece. I’d like to share a bit about our process. We agreed that we wanted something original (so we immediately put aside anything related to Scooby-Doo), humorous but also poignant, ideally making a comment on something important.I think our Didn’t You Ask for Kids? hit the mark. This time, we didn’t make it to the 10 finalists, but we love it as it is: completely self-produced (keep an ear out for the sound effects created with doorbells, an air fryer, and a hair dryer), absolutely current in its content, definitely original (verging on the absurd), and we find it unquestionably humorous.I hope you enjoy listening as much as we loved creating it!

A woman's perfect new home begins to feel inhabited by presences she can't quite see. In the corner of her eye, they move. When she turns, they vanish. A psychological tale of perception, paranoia, and the fine line between reality and imagination. This piece is partly autobiographical, and partly an homage to Giorgio Manganelli's masterpiece Centuria - 100 Romanzi Fiume (Centuria: One Hundred Ouroboric Novels), a book consisting of one hundred very short absurd, enigmatic, and dreamlike stories that I read at a very young age and that had a huge impact on my artistic practice. I created A Polished Tale as part of All The Best Radio's 24h Race, an exciting annual event, a creative challenge that gives producers 24 hours to conceptualise, record, and produce short stories on a specific theme, this year it was 'mirrored'.If you have never taken part in a radio race, I encourage you to: it is so much fun, and, at least with All The Best, it is completely free to participate. Enjoy the ride!Reply on Bluesky

Stuart Fowkes, creator of Cities and Memory, published a call asking artists to re imagine a curated selection of field recordings from 36 countries around the world to develop brand new compositions on the theme of sustainability, equity and well-being in cities. The project launched at the C40 Summit in Buenos Aires in October 2022. I had the honour to be one of those artists.I started from the idea that the organisation of the city and its meeting spaces have a profound impact on society.I then collected real and existing examples of hostile architecture, bringing them to the extreme, the worst possible scenario, where no type of aggregation is allowed if not linked to consumption.No aggregation without consumption!"The fight against poverty is won by physically eliminating the poor" this the slogan of the time of terror framed, through a narrative device, in the past, a time as different as possible from a much more harmonious and inclusive present.Written, edited and produced by M. Cristina MarrasVoices: Romeo Maria Minutolo, M. Cristina MarrasCheck out all tracks included in the album and check also the C40 Summit: Global & Smart Cities Talk that brought together the mayors of global and regional cities, business leaders, philanthropists, campaigners, youth leaders, scientists and residents, to share bold ideas, showcase innovative solutions and stand together to create a sustainable, prosperous and equitable future.

A woman writes a message during her daily tram commute to work. Seemingly insignificant details, like selling a table or a couch, hide a deeply personal story about love, and the fragility of the hope for new beginnings. In these small, fleeting moments between home and work, she is rewriting her story, while the ordinary tram ride becomes the extraordinary vessel navigating the delicate space between now and tomorrow.Just before leaving was created for Cities and Memory's Autumn Project, reimagining the sound of a Melbourne tram.

What happens when the characters revolt against the writer? That's what happens in this meta-nightmare, where the protagonist literally calls out from the page to tell off the writer who keeps writing her dead. A piece that answers the question: how many settings and locations can you possibly pack within 3 minutes?The piece was originally created to address Audio Flux 06's prompt "creative tension." It plays with the idea of using cinematic soundscapes to layer scenery and characters, jumping from one fictional setting to the next while giving us a glimpse of the writer's reality at the same time.Photo by Sarah Yessenbayeva on Unsplash

Variations in Memory Flat [bilingual Italian and English - links to translated videos below], is a quiet reflection on childhood memories, caught in a kitchen between big moments of joy and small, unexpected sadness. This is the final outcome of my participation in THE ECCO, unveiled at the ((XMTR)) Festival.Slippery memory, the theme chosen for THE ECCO’s second cohort, was more than a concept, it was a sensation that speaks to those memories that slip away and hide just as you try to grasp and describe them. I tried to translate this fleeting quality into sonic impressions, guided by the fragmented recollections of an ever-unreliable narrator.This piece represents a pivotal moment in my creative journey: an intimate investigation that wants to open a doorway into what remains with us and what time quietly erases.The project is shaped by the interplay of languages and memories, softened by the patina of recollection, a gentle coating that sweetens even those moments that, when they occurred in the past, left us grasping for meaning. I am profoundly grateful to Jasmin Bauomy, founder of THE ECCO, for giving me the opportunity to be part of this group and for the vision and the guidance that were pivotal in bringing to light what I didn’t even know I needed to express. I am grateful to the group of European audio producers of THE ECCO, who have become my friends. We spent some incredible days in our Tuscany retreat, writing, playing, cooking, eating, talking, feeding the fox, crying, and laughing. We shared experiences, doubts, and ideas, forging bonds that are difficult to articulate.This has been an amazing experience of growth and discovery.I invite you to listen closely, to immerse yourselves in these fluid, slippery memories, to discover reflections of your own stories within, and to embrace the beautiful ambiguity of what slips through our fingers yet lingers in our minds.Text, editing and voice: M. Cristina MarrasProducer: Jasmin BauomyAdditional sound engineer: Jesse LawsonVideo with English subtitlesVideo with Italian subtitles

Was passiert, wenn eine Uhr, die früher an der Wand hing, nicht mehr funktioniert und weggeworfen wird? Und warum fühlen wir uns gezwungen, eine Streichholzschachtel zu schütteln, selbst wenn wir sie nicht benutzen wollen? In diesem Werk finden Sie keine endgültige Antwort auf diese Fragen, aber ich lade dich trotzdem ein, zuzuhören – für eine ruhige Erkundung der beständigen Gewohnheiten unseres Gedächtnisses, dessen, was nach dem Verschwinden von Menschen und Gegenständen aus unserem Leben bleibt, und wie der Klang ihres Lebens lange nach ihrem Verschwinden nachklingt.Diese Geschichte habe ich für Small Audio Art erstellt, eine von Phoebe McIndoe gegründete Gemeinschaft von Künstlern und Audiomachern, die in einer zerstreuten Welt Zusammengehörigkeit suchen. Das Thema für dieses Audio war "Uhr".Listen also in English Bildbearbeitung des Fotos von Abiodun Ageh bei Unsplash

I take you on a journey of creativity, surprises and changes of direction, because this story evolves in ways I didn’t expect. I started intending to record an interview with my friend Kathleen McCann, who painted the painting I wanted to talk about for my Small Audio Art project. A friend who lives 10 hours time difference away. I end up sharing much more, beyond the messages I sent, the questions I wrote, the quiet rooms I asked for.The piece becomes a gentle reflection on time, care, and the balance between being present and absent. Hard moments in life quietly emerge, along with the demands on time, and the love that carries through it all.Join me in this quiet and thoughtful exploration of art, friendship, and the spaces between sound and silence. I hope it stays with you.The painting that inspired me was created by my good friend of many adventures, artist, activist and overall amazing human being Kathleen McCann.Small Audio Art is a community brought together by Phoebe McIndoe with artists and audio makers looking for togetherness in a scattered world. The prompt for this audio was 'painting'.

Ich erzähle einen kleinen, aber eindringlichen Moment, der mein eigenes Bedauern über meine Reaktion in einem bestimmten Moment unseres kollektiven Lebens widerspiegelt. Eine Reflexion darüber, wie leicht Angst unsere Wahrnehmung verzerren kann und uns vergessen lässt, was wirklich zählt: Mitgefühl und Hoffnung. Diese Arbeit hat den zweiten Preis beim Kurzhörspielwettbewerb der Hörspielwiese Kölln 2025 gewonnen. "Eine Glanzleistung, die vor allem von der Stimme von M. Cristina Marras lebt."Diese Arbeit ist eine Adaption und Neuinterpretation eines ursprünglich auf Englisch für Small Audio Art erstellten Audios, das auch von Radiophrenia 2025 veröffentlicht wurde.

This is my very first commissioned piece in German, published on Deutschanldfunk Kultur's Doku Drops, a monthly audio magazine curated and moderated by Judith Geffert and Ingo Kottkamp, featuring short documentary pieces.In my piece, Da ist dieser Moment (There is this moment), I explore that fleeting, endless moment of waiting, the pause between dialling a phone number and hearing the other side pick up. What seems like nothing on the outside opens up an entire universe of thoughts, feelings, and possibilities on the inside.Text, sound and voice: M. Cristina MarrasProducer: Judith GeffertArtwork Photo by Adam Hamel on Unsplash

A surreal exchange of words by the Aurora Bridge, near the railway. A dialogue between unlikely spies that makes a mockery of spy stories with irony and nonsense. The scene is set by the historic bridge in Seattle, known for its striking presence over Lake Union. This audio work reimagines the soundscape of the Hannover Hydroelectric Power Plant. It is part of the Cities and Memory project, blending place, story, and sound to invite listeners into a playful world of coded secrets and hidden meanings.Created for Cities and Memory using the 'Hydroelectric power plant, Hannover' recording by Jurgen Morgenstern-Feise.Photo by Nationaal Archief on Unsplash

Created in 2 days, just as the rules of Sonic Dash require, without too much fuss, a bit rough and really rushed. The theme was 'too much information,' to be interpreted freely. My luck is having a lot of interesting and original friends scattered around the world who come to my aid without asking too many questions when I show up again with one of my strange requests. You might actually recognise some voices (many of them work in the podcast and audio world), but I am not writing their names here. Because when I asked them to tell me 'too much information,' I also specified that it didn’t necessarily had to be true. In short, don’t form any opinions based solely on what you hear here, I warn you! I’ve already thanked my friends personally, even those I couldn’t include (there were many friends and only two minutes to fill), but I still like to repeat my thanks here because this really is a wonderful community.Enjoy the ride! (works best with headphones).Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

A story of childhood wonder, loss, and the consequences of chasing what we don’t fully understand, a cautionary tale about the stories we inherit, the memories we cling to, and the dangers of tampering with time-real or imagined.Photo by Egor Litvinov on Unsplash

What happens when a clock that used to hang at the wall stops working, and is thrown away? And why do we feel compelled to shake a matchbox, even if we do not intend to use it? In this work you will not find a definitive answer to these questions, but I invite you to listen nonetheless, for a quiet exploration of the persistent habits of our memory, of what remains after people and objects disappear from our life, how the sound of their lives lingers long after they are gone. I created this story for Small Audio Art, a community created by Phoebe McIndoe with artists and audio makers looking for togetherness in a scattered world. The prompt for this audio was 'clock'.[Höre auch auf Deutsch]Image reworking of Photo by Abiodun Ageh on Unsplash

A haunting monologue, a power struggle between two vastly different entities. The speaker (a woman trapped in a toxic relationship?) reveals pain and vulnerability, shattered by constant attacks. But amidst the despair, a chilling undercurrent of defiance emerges. The speaker unveils a disturbing truth: a force to be reckoned with, a presence that has infiltrated their tormentor's very being.As the monologue progresses, the listener's perspective shifts, drawn in by the speaker's menacing words and the hint of a power far beyond their initial fragility. The final revelation questions the true nature of the dominance and the unsettling reality that unfolds.

The narrative explores the complex emotions of returning to your homeland to see, possibly for the last time, an ageing parent. The salty air, the rocking of the ferry, all becomes sensory details that evoke the physical experience of the journey. Yet, beneath the surface lies a deeper turmoil, a haunting question about goodbyes and the fragility of life.

Shortlisted UK Radiodrama Festival 2026More of a borderline stream-of-consciousness than a tutorial!It's called a step-by-step guide, and it promises to teach you how to carve a wooden spoon, but despite its promising beginning, the piece soon becomes something completely different, as the advice turns into personal anecdotes and unexpected digressions that touch on paranoia (and maybe even murderous thoughts). If you are someone who wants to learn how to carve a wooden spoon, this guide will leave you disappointed. But if you are after a quirky, personal essay that is strangely compelling and, at the same time, totally unhelpful, then this might be for you.If you're looking for a practical tutorial, look elsewhere.I created this story for Small Audio Art, a community created by Phoebe McIndoe with artists and audio makers looking for togetherness in a scattered world.This audio creation starts from the prompt 'wooden spoon'.

Night Radio was one of my first podcasts. Unfortunately it required the voice talent of a young girl and of a mature man with a deep voice, and I had no one to ask.But I was really keen on telling the story: a young, impressionable girl who spent her sleepless nights listening to a mature man who covered the graveyard shift on the local radio, philosophising about the world with his beautiful, deep voice, a voice that in the darkness, evoked incredible worlds and strong feelings in the girl's mind.The year was 2013, I lived in Melbourne, and I was still trying to find my community of podcasters. The only place where I felt at home was SoundCloud, which, back then, was a cool boutique platform based in Berlin (oh! how have things changed since!), and that's where I reached out.Actually, it was the other way around: one morning I woke up to find that the views on my SoundCloud channel had skyrocketed (several thousand compared to the usual few dozen): I had been named Soundclouder of the Day. That's how I started exchanging messages with SoundCloud's extraordinaire community leader, Luke Leighfield, and with his help, I put out a call to audition for the two voices I needed to tell my story.I remember very well the euphoria of listening to the voices of the dozens of people who auditioned, and I must say that when I heard the voices of Bailey Castle and Darren Kleven, I immediately knew that they were perfect for what I had in mind.Those were pretty anything-goes times for podcasts, and in fact, I decided to use Stairway to Heaven at the beginning of my piece—which was the theme song of the night program that I had fallen madly in love with as a girl (it won't surprise anyone to know that the story is autobiographical).Listening to Night Radio again lately, I thought that it was too good to stay private, so I replaced the initial music (with something legit) but left everything else as it was: raw, unpolished (I created it using Audacity, go figure!), naive, and yet, thanks to the fantastic interpretations of Bailey and Darren, it retains its nocturnal magic.Dedicated to all those who have fallen in love with a voice on the radio.(If anyone is curious to know what happened with my radio crush, I can only say that it had quite a different ending. Write me in private if you want the details).Voices: Bailey Castle and Darren KlevenWords & Production: M. Cristina MarrasPhoto by Chandan Chaurasia on Unsplash

A comedic game show called You've Got to Be Kidding Me tests contestants' knowledge of a dystopian society's new constitution and the decrees of their Glorious Supreme President. When I created this for the Silver Sound Biannual Sonic Dash competition in January 2025, it sounded like something fun and out of this world. By May 2025, in the US, they are talking about having people compete for a green card by taking part in a quiz show. Yes, it is depressing. And no, if someone had asked me, I would have chosen a different audio creation to be transformed into reality.Anyway, the piece was created from scratch within 48 hours in response to a prompt emailed to participants on Friday, January 3rd, 2025. All sounds and music in the audio drama were created by me and the rest of my family (my son Romeo and my husband Gianfranco) without any external support or pre-existing materials. None of us can compose music-the theme song is simply us singing. One funny bit trivia: all finalists met for a collective listening session on January 6th (does this date ring a bell?), and my entry was the only one dealing with contemporary politics and also the only one from Italy (that I know of).Written and produced by M. Cristina MarrasVoices: Romeo M. Minutolo (the amazing Quiz Master); Gianfranco Bitti (the lucky Giuseppe); M. Cristina Marras (the wise but not so good after all Maria).Image Freepik www.freepik.com

This is one of the stories created for All The Best Radio's 24 hour radio challenge, in which producers were tasked with creating audio stories from scratch in a day. I participated from Sardinia (Italy) with a story starting with a recurring dream.Here you can listen to all the entries. Photo by Quinn Korsune on Unsplash[29/11/2024]

I created this story for Small Audio Art, a community created by Phoebe McIndoe with artists and audio makers "looking for togetherness in a scattered world". The prompt was 'window'.I recount a small but poignant moment that reflects my own regret over the way I reacted in a specific moment of our collective lives. A reflection on how easily fear can distort one's perception, making us forget what really matters: compassion and hope.Small Audio Art Featured on RADIOPHRENIA 2025Release date:29 November 2024

This piece was one of the 15 finalists in Audio Flux Circuit 04. The prompt asked for a three-minute piece that referenced an object related to a first and included the sound of time passing (but not a clock). I decided to tell about the day I did something that no one in my family had ever done before me. I'd rather not tell you what so as not to spoil the narration. Featuring: strong sense of atmosphere, moods shift, and anticipation and a study on class, family, and the weight of expectation.Here more about Audio Flux.[10/11/2024]

The prompt was 'door'.Created for Phoebe McIndoe's Small Audio Art project "Exploring identity and belonging through the objects that make up a home. Join us every other month for community & creative prompts." Photo by Elimende Inagella on Unsplash[09/07/2024]

Some things are lost over and over and then are found again and again.But then there are also other things.By Maria Cristina Marras for Sonic Dash June 2024 The Sonic Dash is a 48-hour audio storytelling competition held each winter and summer. With participating audio-makers from around the world, entrants must craft a completely original, from-scratch audio piece within two days of being emailed a prompt (no archival material or pre-existing music allowed!). Voices: M. Cristina Marras and Romeo M. MinutoloMusic: Romeo M. MinutoloPhoto by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash[25/06/2024]

Forget your morning latte, folks, because the city's daily dose of WTF is already brewing! Today's public service announcements veer into the delightfully deranged, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering what exactly they're putting in the water cooler at City Hall.Whether a deliberate artistic experiment or a product of a malfunctioning system remains a source of speculation. However, its impact on its audience is undeniable. By embracing the absurd, the Announcement has sparked conversations about the nature of language, the power of communication, and the subjective construction of reality. In doing so, it transcends the realm of mere entertainment and enters the space of artistic commentary, prompting reflection on the world we inhabit and the ways in which we interpret it.[22/06/2024]Photo by Vasi on Unsplash

A longing house cat dreams of returning to her old home with a garden, a lost paradise of sunlit playful hunts.In the picture is my beloved Ombra, whom I did not have the heart of forcing to endure a flight that would have lasted several days, followed by a month quarantine inside a cage. Ombra now plays happy in a beautiful Northcote garden with her friend Tuppy the Puddle. Created for Audio Flux Circuit 03 Pet Sounds.[09/06/2024]

A sonic reflection on the monotony of our daily routines.With a touch of irony and a hint of existential angst, I present the symphony of mundane sounds that mark the passing of our days, a never-ending loop of bodily functions and technological hums. This is our absurd, repetitive existence.Photo by bady abbas on Unsplash[15/10/2023]

This piece is a reflection on the concept of space as sound. Space understood not as a visual concept, but as an auditory one, as the connective tissue between all of the objects in the world, carried to the perimeter and to the center. A voluminous environment that emerges from an exquisite global polyphony. This piece was inspired by Mathias Hinke's lesson 'Demonstrations and fun cultures' which explores the role of sound in specific non-musical social settings and practices.Manchester political rally reimagined by M.Cristina Marras.credits from Sounds of the Year 2023, released December 14, 2023citiesandmemory.bandcamp.com/track/soun…er-england

Audio Club is a place to meet, workshop and develop ideas through monthly audio challenges. This intriguing experiment launched by All The Best Radio, kicked off with the first challenge: create 5-7 minute pieces about anything and everything in the whole entire world.The catch? The piece had to incorporate 60 seconds of absolute, pin-drop silence. This is how I tackled the challenge, remembering the women and men who fought and sacrificed for the elimination of the fascist regime. Forever against fascism and fascists.Audio Club All The Best Radio (my third place in me second home)[13/03/2024]

A swirl of sounds and sensations, listening to this piece is like entering a circus. Still, instead of clowns and illusionists, you'll find: libraries, librarians mistreating innocent children, thunders, revenge, dark nights, betrayal, tax fraud (just a little bit), more thunders, Berlin in the '80s, translations, revenge, triumph, cautionary tales. Disclaimer: no books were harmed while making this piece.Awarded Transom's Small, Random, Meaningful.Special Mention at the Australian Black Snapper International Film Festival (Audio section)."Delicious and bittersweet treat to enjoy with headphones."Orecchiabile, 17 July 2024

Winner Audionomia's best mini-headphone & Hörspielsommer Kurzhörspielwettbewerbs.Set in one of my favourite non-places, the arrivals at a railway platform, and inspired by Wisława Szymborska's poem "Dworzec" (The Railroad Station), My non arrival is an emotional journey that explores the intricacies of human connection and the bittersweet dance of hope and detachment.In My non arrival the estrangement between the protagonist and the voice of the announcer becomes an evocative thread that weaves through the narrative.As listeners immerse in the soundscape of a bustling train station, a poignant sense of distance unfolds, born from the announcer addressing the protagonist directly. Each announcement becomes a reminder of her yearning for connection, the anticipation of her beloved's arrival, and the profound vulnerability that accompanies unmet expectations.As the train approaches, the estrangement deepens, as the protagonist stands on the precipice of hope and despair.The announcer's instructions on how to approach the carriage, the gentle warning to ignore the embraces of strangers, and the delicate reminder to carefully search for her love within the crowd emphasise the weight of her solitude.The departure of the train, coupled with the announcer's matter-of-fact declarations, reverberates with the ache of unfulfilled longing.The protagonist finds herself at the crossroads of acceptance and heartache, where the pain of non-arrival meets the poetry of possibilities.With this audio piece, I hope to draw the listener into an emotional journey that explores the intricacies of human connection and the bittersweet dance of hope and detachment.The estrangement produced by the voice of the announcer, speaking directly to the protagonist, reflects the universal experience of seeking intimacy amidst a world that may, at times, feel distant and elusive.

This is a story about Gigi Riva, the legendary Italian soccer player who "led the modest team of Cagliari to win the Serie A championship in the 1969-70 season." While it portrays Riva as more than a player—a demigod whose name is whispered with reverence and his deeds immortalised—it’s ultimately a tale of childhood, wonder, memories, and a touch of mischievous revenge. Without giving too much away (there is a twist!), this 12-minute story will surprise and enchant, offering an unexpected journey through hero worship, nostalgia, and the magic of storytelling.Production, editing and sound design M. Cristina Marras

La Sposa nel Vento premiered at the Seattle Social Justice Film Festival in front of a stunned and engaged audience, receiving high praise from viewers for its powerful and emotional depiction of the topic of gender violence against women.Directed by Giovanni Coda, the film combines stunning dance moves with graphic and tragic stories to create a work of art that is both beautiful and impactful.The film tackles the sensitive topic of domestic violence and its effects on women, their families, and future generations. It highlights the fact that patriarchal systems harm not just women but everyone, and it drives home the point that gender-based violence is an issue that affects us all.Viewers were moved by the film's innovative approach to storytelling, which blends different art forms such as dance, voice-over, and powerful imagery. They were also touched by Giovanni's bravery in tackling such an important issue, and many felt that his unique perspective made the film even more impactful.This are the voices of the viewers that I collected immediately after the Seattle premier.PRODUCTION, EDITING & SOUND DESIGN M.Cristina Marras

A tale of cultural neocolonialism. This podcast is inspired by my personal experience, as someone who grew up in Sardinia surrounded by stories and boasts about the journey of the famous English writer D.H. Lawrence, and his wife Frida through Sardinia.Lawrence visited Sardinia in 1921, after becoming bored with rainy Sicily. He spent just over a week there, during which time he wrote a book in which he described the island and its people. I find Lawrence's portrayal of Sardinia and its inhabitants myopic and insensitive, as he was unable and unwilling to understand or engage with anything that was different from the reality he was familiar with.Despite these criticisms, I embarked on a journey to retrace Lawrence's footsteps through Sardinia, exploring the breath-taking landscape of vineyards, pioneers, and love for the soil. Along the way, I encounter winemaker Stefano Soi, who demonstrates an awe-inspiring dedication to the land and an ability to embrace old traditions while planning and creating a sustainable future.VOICES: Cristina Marras (Narrator; Reader from “The Little Prince”) and Stefano Soi (as himself); passages from D.H. Lawrence’s book “Sea and Sardinia” read by Romeo M. MinutoloPRODUCTION, EDITING & SOUND DESIGN M. Cristina Marras

Instructions on how to prepare a clay pot, before using it to cook, presented with a sexy voice. This is part of an exploration on voice that I created as assignment for the 'In the dark' course (a course that I highly recommend, presented by the fabulous Nina Garthwaite).Photo by Alfonso Escu on Unsplash

This is part of an exploration on voice that I created as assignment for the 'In the dark' course (a course that I highly recommend, presented by the fabulous Nina Garthwaite).This time I looked for actual instructions (on how to prepare a clay pot to be used) presented the same material to the tune of a song. Let's see whether you recognise which one.Photo by Alfonso Escu on Unsplash

This is part of an exploration on voice that I created as assignment for the 'In the dark' course (a course that I highly recommend, presented by the fabulous Nina Garthwaite).This piece consists of found sounds mixed up with my original piece. Enjoy!Photo by Alfonso Escu on Unsplash

An audio experiment created while attending Nina Garthwaite's amazing In the dark audio course.Photo by Alfonso Escu on Unsplash

What does the opposite of inspiration sound like? It's an endless litany of audio prompts delivered with horrible audio and without any sense or order. Created as Assignment #13 for Sarah Geis' Audio Playground www.audioplayground.xyz/[02/10/2020]

Created for Cities and Memory's Shortwave project, this piece starts from the real shortwave audio from the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster to tell the real story of Robert H. Lawrence Jr., a United States Air Force officer and the first African-American astronaut."Shortwave radio is one of the most fascinating sonic worlds – capturing vital moments in world history as well as the thrill of pirate radio, clandestine radio stations, secretive number stations, military and spy radio. All of humanity is truly out there to be listened to at the turn of a dial – and it’s been remixed and reimagined in the Shortwave Transmissions project."Shortwave is a project by Cities and Memory citiesandmemory.com/shortwave/The image is by artist Tavares Strachan. I Belong Here (White), 2012Voice Romeo M. MinutoloProduction, editing & sound design M.Cristina Marras[03/10/2021]

I venture with my namesake Cristina Marras along the Mining Trail of St Barbara, across the Sulcis mining area of Sardinia, gruelling isolated goat trails swept by the ubiquitous mistral wind, but also breath-taking glimpses of views and beaches with water so crystalline that it always reminds me of stained-glass windows in churches. And suddenly the smell of naphtha, motor oil, takes me back to my childhood.See some of the pictures taken during the trip. Written, edited and produced by M. Cristina MarrasMusic Epidemic SoundPhoto by Giampiero PinnaVoices: M.Cristina Marras, Cristina Marras, Romeo Minutolo, the cloistered nuns of the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Good Path.Thank you Cristina for being such a great adventure companion.Thank you Giampiero Pinna and thank you to the Fondazione Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara for your support.I invite you all to take a look at the Cammino. It's great beyond what I'll be ever able to convey. [18/01/2022]

Meet Viviana: be it between the doors of a garage or enticing others to play along (and breathing and touching), her darkness is always a celebration of life, friendship and love. Some people have an intrinsic luminosity that transpires even when they are immersed in the deepest darkness.Written, edited and produced by M. Cristina MarrasMusic Epidemic SoundPhoto Viviana StaianoThis is part of my explorations on darkness. See also Exploration on darkness #1 (games we play in the dark), Exploration on darkness #2 (why is dark-ness), Exploration on darkness #3 (among friends)[13/10/2021]