In a buzzing Roman house, a group of youngsters dance and play music with abandon. It is the summer of 1960, and Italy is experiencing a period of rapid economic expansion that will go down in history as the Italian Economic Miracle. World War II is still a recent memory for many, but the generation born in the late 1940s and early ‘50s is eager to have fun and focus on the future.

In this hot Roman summer, a short-haired girl moves energetically to the beat of rock and roll while a band dressed in jersey shirts and blue jeans plays wildly behind her. The camera can’t help but focus on this rising star of musica leggera, drawn not only by her exceptional vocal talent, but also by her magnetic presence. Her name is Mina, the film is Urlatori alla Sbarra (Howlers of the Dock) by the then-young director Lucio Fulci, and she is stylish, independent, and, above all, a leader.