Let’s Get REAL: Meet Communications Professor Adele Tulli

Adele Tulli is a newly appointed professor in the JCU Communications and Media Studies department. She holds an M.Phil. in South Asian Studies from Cambridge University, an M.A. in Screen Documentary from Goldsmiths, and a Ph.D. in Audiovisual Studies from Roehampton University. Her short and feature films, all focusing on contemporary issues, have been screened at several international festivals, such as Berlinale, Locarno Film Festival, Lincoln Center in New York City, Fondazione Prada in Milan, Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Her latest feature documentary, REAL (2024), deals with the extreme digitalization of our daily lives. It was screened at the opening event of the Spring 2025 edition of the Digital Delights and Disturbances (DDD) lecture series.

You have worked on several audiovisual projects, from short films to feature movies. How did you become passionate about filmmaking?
I initially didn’t go to film school, but I found out about this interest of mine when I was living in Mumbai, India where I focused my research on feminist, environmental, and LGBTQ+ struggles. In 2009, after years of activism, the Delhi High Court struck down Section 377, a colonial-era law that criminalized homosexuality, thus removing it from the constitution. It was a revolutionary moment, and I felt the need to document it. A year later I made my first short film, “365 Days Without 377,” which celebrated the first anniversary of the law being scrapped. It was quite exciting to see the outcome of a project like that.

Thanks to this experience, I realized how powerful documentary language can be. I decided to go back to school and obtained an M.A. in Screen Documentary at Goldsmiths in London. I made another short film as part of my graduation project, “Rebel Menopause.” It is an intimate portrait of a woman I met in Paris, Thérèse Clerc. She was part of the French feminist movement, challenging taboos around menopause and women aging. She worked on many initiatives, like Baba Yaga House, a project of cohabitation for women over 65. It was nice to spread her message.

After that I applied for a practice-based Ph.D. in England. I was able to make a film as part of my research, which ended up becoming my first feature, Normal (2019). The research environment pushed me to analyze and reflect more on my creative practice. I was lucky enough to find along the way some producers who helped me develop it for theaters, and the film ended up premiering at the Berlinale.

Tell us about your latest project, REAL.
The idea came to me during the pandemic. In the months of lockdown, we experienced the unprecedented and extreme condition of enforced physical isolation. As our bodies remained confined within the walls of our homes, the screens of our devices became portals to a digital universe that granted us access to social interactions, work, and relationships. This sudden anthropological shift made me realize the extent to which material reality itself was unraveling.

With REAL, I wanted to explore how the internet is transforming our reality; whatever we used to call “real” is ultimately collapsing. This film ended up being a mosaic of people interacting with the internet and their digital devices: a family living in a newly built smart neighborhood in South Korea, a sex worker doing erotic shows from home, a VR queer community where two people living apart were able have a stable relationship for two years, and more. REAL ultimately explores how it feels to be human in the digital age.

What do you wish your audience to understand from watching your films?
Since Normal, I started developing an approach to film that is really a way of digging into a contemporary issue, like a theme, through the audiovisual language. I don’t really tell stories; I try to use images to reflect on a topic. So, my hope is that the audience undergoes a sort of transformative experience. You can leave the theater with more questions and more doubts, not with the definitive answers – I do not have the ambition to provide conclusive answers on the topics that I investigate. My goal is to raise questions and open up new perspectives. I approach documentary as an open form not pursuing the accurate depiction of events but the uncertain, associative and subjective nature of reasoning – the possibility of generating a visual field where reality can be interpreted, problematized, and reimagined.

What is your teaching philosophy? What do you hope your students take away from your classes?
I’ve been teaching since my Ph.D. times. It’s something that I really love for several reasons. I find it very interesting to be in academia, where all the ideas and the reflections on contemporary issues continue to flourish. It’s a very stimulating environment to be a part of. The students bring fresh perspectives not only to filmmaking, but also to approaching contemporary issues. What I hope to transmit to them is my enthusiasm towards the visual medium, which is an incredible way to tell stories and also to interpret the world we live in, to frame reality.

Do you ever see yourself transitioning to narrative filmmaking in the future? Are you working on something at the moment?
I wouldn’t say no as a pre-condition. It’s been an interesting journey to find my own language, to explore in depth things that I am interested in. I’ve just finished working on REAL, so I’m still brainstorming new ideas – that also includes the possibility of going more towards a narrative approach. As for now, I’m still in the early stages of doing research for a new project.

Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers?
Follow your instinct. Find your voice and trust it. It’s like having a need to tell a story. The most interesting things always come from a genuine interest and a strong drive and need to explore an idea or a story. It’s something we also discuss in class: there is no right or wrong way to make films. It is a very personal language. Every creative choice needs to be guided by a vision, an intention, and that is something very personal.