Rosie

“My message to those people who have lipodystrophy is that no matter what the other people say, just don’t listen to them—just be you and don’t listen to anyone else.”

Rosie lives with generalized lipodystrophy, a rare condition characterized by the lack of fat. Because of the disease, fatigue and pain permeate her daily routine, yet she refuses to let them shape her life and continues to pursue her passions with enthusiasm. Surrounded by her family’s love and especially supported by her sister Chloe, Rosie finds the strength to be herself at an age when others’ judgments can feel overwhelming. Together, they focus on making memories and finding joy in the things they love.

DIRECTOR

Gianpaolo Bigoli

PHOTOGRAPHER

Marco Gualazzini

DISEASE

Lipodystrophy

From the Director’s Perspective

A story told through two intertwined perspectives: Rosie, a 10-year-old girl with lipodystrophy, and her mother Anne, who walks alongside her and supports her every step of the way. Rosie shares her journey and claims her right to take the reins of her own life, with determination and joy. Within their small home, they find a place of freedom and growth. The story unfolds between the confines of the house and the vastness of their inner worlds, where strength, rebellion, care, and freedom live together and feed off one another.

Notes by

Gianpaolo Bigoli

Behind the Photographer’s Lens

Meeting Rosie, I was struck by how every movement costs her effort and pain because of her condition, yet she never stops swimming, horseback riding, and dreaming. “If I had to describe lipodystrophy with one word,” she told us when we asked, “I’d probably say painful.”
Beside her, her mother Anne faces everything with a quiet kind of love, turning everyday fragility into strength and presence.

Notes by

Marco Gualazzini