“La Gradiva” by Marine Atlan
Chicago International Film Festival
A high school trip to Naples becomes the staging ground for a profound coming-of-age experience in cinematographer Marine Atlan’s spellbinding directorial debut. Exhausted-yet-persistent Latin teacher Mme. Mercier is desperate to convince her unruly students to open their eyes and absorb the world around them. They are a mercurial, memorable bunch, headlined by the troubled Toni, his headstrong best friend James, and the quiet, pensive Suzanne.
Atlan’s superb sense for staging and rhythm combines with her cooly captivating camerawork to tease out impeccable performances from the film’s outstanding young cast. Surrounded by a bustling Naples, with its storied art and architecture, and the looming Mount Vesuvius, the class’s teenage struggles take on a mythic proportion.
Language: French, Italian
Run Time: 145 minutes
Genres: Art – Coming of Age – Drama
Screenings
- Fri, Oct 16 at 8:00pm at Gene Siskel Film Center, Screen 1
- Sat, Oct 17 at 2:15pm at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 14
The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival returns this year on October 14–25!
The Chicago International Film Festival, the longest-running competitive film festival in North America, brings over 150 films from around the world to Chicago. For 12 days, approximately 45,000 film lovers come together to discover extraordinary films, meet filmmakers and artists, and engage in conversations and events that celebrate diverse stories, perspectives, and the shared experience of cinema. As every year, Italian cinema will have a special place at the festival, with several Italian films featured in this year’s lineup.