Corpo Celeste

Discovered in the Directors' Fortnight section of this year's Cannes Film Festival, this poignant tale from a promising new talent, Alice Rohrwacher, blends gritty realism with moments of dreamlike surrealism in a story of a young girl's Catholic confirmation.

Set in the dilapidated streets of Reggio Calabria, the film follows 13 year old Marta (Yile Vianello) who has recently returned from Switzerland with her mother (Anita Caprioli) and sister, and now spends her days eating frozen pizza and wandering around the local area. Bright-eyed and restless, she observes the sights, sounds and smells of the city but feels very much an outsider. Maria's only social interaction is with the local church where she prepares for her upcoming confirmation with the town's priest, Don Mario (Salvatore Cantalupo), and passionate religious instructor Santa (Pasqualina Scuncia).

This Italian-French-Swiss co-production is a nod to the Dardenne brothers' aesthetic with grainy hand held camerawork. Director Rohrwacher has captured beauty among urban decay in this winning drama about a bumpy spiritual journey and coming of age.

Feature film will screen with English subtitles

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