Hi, I’m Lorenzo Ongaro, I’m a freelance storyteller and screenwriter based in Rome (Italy) and here’s something about me….

What is the best thing that I love about my work? The thing I love the most about my work is the opportunity to collaborate with other creative minds to create something meaningful and powerful.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? My idea of perfect happiness is to enjoy the pleasures of life (loving, eating, having fun and exploring the world) while having the time and budget to fully dedicate to the craft of storytelling.

What is my greatest fear? My greatest fear is that people will discover I’m a fraud.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? Low self-esteem and confidence, both in work and in life. But it’s something I’m working on!

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? Charlie Kaufman.

What is my greatest extravagance? I love to collect movie and museum tickets, cards, flyers and so on. They are all stocked in boxes, with the idea that one day, when I’ll be old, I’ll be able to remember something about the life I spent on this world.

On what occasion would I lie? To not be rude with a person I care about or to avoid silly conflicts.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Being too rational and not be able to feel the truth about my characters.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? Every time I feel there’s a common vision with my colleagues on a project.

If I could, what would I change about myself? Pretty much everything! But if I have to say just one thing, I would say self confidence.

What is my greatest achievement in work? Winning the Mattador Award to best original feature screenplay with my first script, Titano. It’s the only award for full length screenplay in Italy dedicated to young screenwriter and winning it was kind of a recognition about the value of my work.

Where would I most like to live? I guess Paris, or London.  Creative cities where everything can happen!

What is my most treasured possession? The letter I received from Chuck Palahniuk  when I was 17, encouraging me to go on with my passion.

What is my most marked characteristic? The ability to make everyone feel comfortable to create a good work space.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? Rome is all an inspiration, but in my experience a great place it’s Villa Borghese, a huge garden in the city center.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? Bottiglieria Pigneto, a place near my home where I can work and fill my stomach with wonderful stuff!

What books influenced my life and how? My work is greatly influenced by the lessons of Syd Field, Blake Snyder, Christopher Vogler, Robert McKee and so on. But a book that really influenced my life is The Hero with  a Thousand Faces written by Joseph Campbell: thanks to this reading I understood why stories are so important to me and to the world.

Who are my favorite writers? Chuck Palahniuk as a novelist, and Yuval Noah Harari for his essays.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? Classical music, maybe Vivaldi or Bach.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Forrest Gump.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? Doctors.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? Little Miss Sunshine: a sweet, funny and perfect comedy about what real matters in life.

What role plays art in my life and work? A warm home to go whenever i can.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My family and my friends: Sara, Simone, Francesco, Eleonora, Silvestro, Adriano, Aurora… too many to mention! But I guess my greatest partner in crime is Vincenzo. I’m working with him since 2014.

Whom would I like to work with in 2019? Matteo Garrone.

Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2019? Some experienced (and talented) italian screenwriters: Ugo Chiti, Nicola Guaglianone, Valia Santella, Alice Rohrwacher, Francesco Piccolo.

What project, in 2019, am I looking forward to work on? Interesting projects  with great people, that’s all I always looking for.

Where can you see me or my work in 2019? You can check my LinkedIn profile to know me better but I have not a real display of my work. I’m still at the beginning 🙂

www.linkedin.com/in/ongarolorenzo

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? For me, it means that you cannot live without doing what you love because it’s a huge part of who you are. Passion it’s a kind of heartbeat of our souls.

Which creative heroes should Peter invite to tell their story? Monica Manganelli, a very talented friend.

How can you contact me? You can email me at ongarolorenzo@gmail.com to know more about what I do or to collaborate!