Diciannove

Eager to escape his overbearing mother and the only life he’s known, 19-year-old Leonardo (Manfredi Marini, who gives an exceptional performance), leaves picturesque Palermo to study in bustling London. His landing is buffered by his sister Arianna (Vittoria Planeta) and her roommate Grazia (Dana Giuliano), though the initial excitement of living abroad — and unrestricted partying — wanes quickly, and Leonardo finds himself enrolling at the University of Siena, focusing on Italian literature.

Back in familiar surroundings, he falls in love with the medieval city, but is not so keen on his literature professor. Seeking that indescribable feeling of knowing you’ve found your place — beyond just geography — Leonardo delves into the classics independently, spawning a soul-searching and deep interest in early modern authors like Pulci, Segneri, and Leopardi. Surrounding himself with beauty, vibrant youth, and new ideas — as well as images he’d previously repressed — his world blooms. A year into his unbound journey, Leonardo travels to Torino where he meets a man who, though much older, may finally be a contemporary — if not the key to unlocking his innermost desires.

Giovanni Tortorici’s elegant and heartfelt debut explores what it’s like to be young and open to wherever the road of life may lead. Shot on 35mm film by Massimiliano Kuveiller and produced by Luca Guadagnino (whose latest film, Queer, also screens at the Festival this year), amongst others, Diciannove is a youthful plunge into the unknown that perfectly captures the once-in-a-lifetime feeling of surfacing to realize you’re exactly where you’re meant to be — or at least on your way there.

DOROTA LECH

Content advisory: sexual content, nudity