Eli May Basile

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Eli May Basile: The voice of BSU's 2025 festive film talks leaving Italy, finding friends and what creativity means to her

Monday, 1 December, 2025

Bath Spa University was proud to unveil its 2025 festive film recently, showcasing the power of community throughout the generations.

The production was a full BSU affair, with students, staff and alumni collaborating to create a film that captures the essence of life at BSU.

As part of the process, third year BSU Acting student Elisabeth “May” Basile was chosen to write and produce an original song for the film. Her track, titled ‘Our Old House’, is a personal reflection of Eli’s time at university and combines themes of togetherness, growth and community.

While the song covers her three years living in Bath, Eli’s story, as well as her love for music and acting, begins in the south of Italy, where she was born and raised in a small town.

Reflecting on her early love for the arts, Eli said:

“It’s always been about music and acting for me. I used to put on little shows every Sunday for my parents and I have always loved being creative.

My hometown didn’t have acting schools or anything like that, so when I fell in love with English and started learning English, my goal was to always do as much as I could to chase my passion.”

Eli spent time as an exchange student in America before moving to Bath three years ago, when she had just turned 18.

“I was completely alone when I arrived. I taught myself how the buses work, which shops to go to, everything. It wasn’t until I found really good flatmates and got into a good routine that I started to feel more settled.”

Those friendships kept Eli strong through challenging times, with her song paying tribute to the bond formed at BSU. Reflecting on this, Eli said:

“I was following the brief and I started thinking about how this is my last year living with these people. I started reminiscing and thinking about these past two years and how much they've given me and how comfortable I feel around them.

This song, in a way, is my gift to them.”

Eli was selected after her Instagram account was flagged to the crew behind the film, with her work as a singer-songwriter gaining recognition amongst her peers.

After being selected, Eli worked with fellow students George Cockrell, James Harrison and Fin Roach to create the final version heard today.

In many ways, this project represents a culmination of years of growth for Eli, taking her from the south of Italy to the South West of England and offering her the chance to reflect on that journey through the medium that resonates most.

Personal stories are a key theme in this year’s festive film, with Eli taking time to reflect on her own BSU journey:

“It means a lot to be chosen. I was recently just thinking back to when I just got here. I was freshly 18 and so different from how I am right now, but at the same time I'm the same person.

I have learned so much here, not just on my course, but from people and all the things they can do. I'm still trying to get as much as I can out of everything that Bath and the uni gives me. I’ll certainly never forget it.”

Eli’s impact on the film itself is vast, with her memorable melody acting as the perfect counterpart to a story that celebrates friendship, community and the commonalities that unite us all. Eli also features as one of the actors in the film.

Reflecting on her experience writing the song, Eli concluded:

“It was such a cool, fun experience, and even to just write a new song and move away from my typical themes. It was just so great to be creative. I’m really glad and grateful.”

Eli’s song will be available to stream soon on Spotify, and you can also follow her journey on TikTok and Instagram.