Souls of Italy: Micro moments in Florence

Helen Farrell

Florence: Snapshots of real-life people and situations in Italy are guaranteed on @soulsofitaly, an Instagram and TikTok profile curated by long-term Florence resident and British video journalist Kirsten Hills.

From former fruit seller Aldo’s memories of his city’s liberation during the Second World War to the making of a new nose for Il Porcellino by bronze craftsman Franco and a ten-year-old runner in piazza Santa Croce, every single one of these micro moments are heartwarming. Over the summer, via Romana tailor Rodolfo, nonplussed by the attention, became the talk of the town and beyond as his interview went viral with a million plus views.

As a video journalist, I’ve always been fascinated by people. When you’re a foreigner living in Italy, you’re always on the outside and uniquely placed to appreciate things. For example, when I’m rushing to pick up my kids, there’s this postal worker ringing a door in piazza Tasso, saying, “Hey, Giovanni, throw me down the keys and I’ll bring you up your package. And he literally drops them out the window on the second floor. One time, I was on my bike with shopping on the handles, again always in a rush, always late, always tired. I was cycling up my hill in Bobolino, and this old dude came behind me and pushed me, saying “You can do it!” It’s just Italians being Italians, and I love Italians.

That’s a really good question. It’s non-commercial, 100 per cent, and it has to be a story. I don’t want to do the artisan in the Oltrarno because that’s been done, although I realize there are still a lot of people out in the world that don’t know about the artisan community in Florence. The aim of the project has always been to do something really positive and authentic. It’s about showing what people are doing and making sure that they’re not changing what they do for me. Florence is a tiny city, but it attracts so many different people.

When I was 17, my family came on holiday to Vellamo, above Pescia, and I met my future husband. We lost touch for 10 years, got back in touch, and he moved to London. I proposed to him one leap year and we got married 20 years ago. We lived in London for 10 years and I was working for the BBC. He makes shoes, but the crash happened and he got a job with Calvin Klein back here. That changed everything. I bought my camera kit and went independent.

I’m always doing random stuff. Over the years, I’ve done a 15-part documentary series for the Uffizi, worked a lot with UNICEF, done a couple of projects for Tuscany’s tourism board and the Science Museum Network, as well as lots of fashion work. Back in February, I loved documenting Tauck Travel’s centenary celebrations. They had 800 employees come to Florence and Rome, and I managed a team of five video makers and photographers, taking charge of the entire media coverage.