Acclaimed director Emanuele Crialese returns to the international festival circuit with his autobiographical coming-of-age story of a 12-year-old with gender dysphoria trying to navigate Rome in the 1970s, and a family coming apart at the seams.
In 1970s Rome, Clara (Penélope Cruz) and Felice (Vincenzo Amato) are an unhappily married couple, remaining together for the sake of the children and their Catholic beliefs. Their three children, Adriana, Gino, and Diana, feel the tension palpably, but 12-year-old Adriana (Luana Giuliani) is faced with her own challenges: she identifies as male and wants to be called Andrew, and only their friend Sara accepts them unconditionally. Andrew’s insistence on being accepted by the family pushes Clara to her psychological breaking point. Director Crialese, one of Italy’s most beloved filmmakers, only recently revealed their own gender dysphoria as a child, and has crafted an autobiographical film that will be regarded as a masterpiece. “A grand and vibrant work of art.” –Lena Wilson, The Wrap
Director Biography
Emanuele Crialese was born in 1965 in Rome to Sicilian parents and graduated with a degree in filmmaking from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. His films include Once We Were Strangers (1997), Respiro (2002), Nuovomondo (2006) and Terraferma (2011).