Two inseparable friends live in the sheltered bubble of neighborhood life until their fraternal friendship is put to the test. Mario (Vincenzo Antonucci) and Lino (Francesco Pellegrino) are eighteen-year-olds who have not yet stepped out of their small town. When Lino’s little sister convinces the locals that she’s a living Saint, Lino’s fate abruptly changes. Freed from the pressure of being financially responsible for his mother and sister, he’s able to imagine a life outside his family home. Meanwhile, Mario is experiencing a growing attraction to Lilo that so far has gone unnoticed.

Erotic and emotionally intense, this mesmerizing debut from Silvia Brunelli won Best Italian Feature at the Rome Independent Film Festival, where it was described as “a light and dramatic fresco of a humanity torn between the sacred and the profane.” It’s a bold, funny, wistful film about masculinity, sexuality, and religion. Inspired by Brunelli’s own experiences, it heralds a dynamic new talent to watch.

—  Lucy Mukerjee