Marine Atlan’s debut feature La Gradiva has been named Film of the Critics by Italy’s National Union of Film Critics (SNCCI). The film is due in cinemas on November 12, distributed by Fandango Distribuzione.
The SNCCI praised the film’s portrayal of adolescence during a school trip to Naples and Pompeii, highlighting its exploration of desire, disappointment, social differences and power dynamics. The union described the debut as a bold and mature work that captures the uncertainty of growing up through its young characters.
Written and directed by French filmmaker, cinematographer and screenwriter Atlan, La Gradiva follows a class of French high-school students visiting Pompeii’s ruins and the bodies preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius. Their encounter with the ancient site brings their own desires and unease to the surface. The film was shot entirely in Italy, between Naples and Pompeii, and pairs contemporary realism with mythology.
La Gradiva received the Grand Prix Ami Paris, the top award at the 65th edition of Cannes’ Critics’ Week, held as part of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The cast includes Antonia Buresi, Colas Quignard, Mitia Capellier-Audat and Suzanne Gerin. The film is produced by Les Films du Poisson and co-produced by Bibi Film.
Sources: ANSA Cultura.