There’s both magic and the gritty real in director Lorena Alvarado’s film, “Beatrice,” which brings us into the fascinating world of Beatrice Vio, a 19-year-old Italian fencer who had her four limbs amputated because of complications from meningitis. Alvarado talked to Salon about what it’s like to be in the room with Vio and how she found inspiration in her subject.

What are your interests as a filmmaker and why did you zero in on Beatrice as a subject? I’m interested in stories that integrate magical realism within documentary. Growing up in Venezuela, I felt that surreal elements were often seamlessly intertwined within mundanity. I love finding people that have some fantastical aspect and presenting it through a realistic lens.