Italian Film Festival to screen in Manila for the first time—here are the films to watch

America Latina

September 29 at 7:30 pm

This 2021 drama film follows a Latin American dentist named Massimo who seems to have everything in life: a villa in a peaceful setting, a beautiful wife and two daughters who keep him happy, and a rewarding job. However, this soon changes after he goes down to the cellar for housework and discovers a girl tied up and asking for help.

Il Silenzio Grande (The Great Silence)

September 30 at 5:30 pm

Set in the 1960s in the large city of Naples, this 2021 comedy drama film centers on a wealthy family whose matriarch wants to sell the family villa with the consent of all the heirs, except for Valerio, who begins to realize that he knows very little of his wife and children and feels like a stranger among his loved ones.

If you want to watch a story full of misunderstandings, conflicts, and confrontations that run through the lives of this dysfunctional family, then The Great Silence could be your next favorite Italian flick.

Una Notte Da Dottore (Doctor on Call)

September 30 at 8:00 pm

Another film with a comedic storyline, Doctor on Call is about a young pizza delivery rider named Mario who is caught in an accident with Pierfrancesco Mai, a 65-year-old doctor who works as a night watchman. Because of this, Mario's bike is destroyed and Pierfrancesco's sciatica worsens, making them both unable to work on their respective jobs.

To solve their predicament, Pierfrancesco decides to give up his car to Mario so he could use it for his deliveries. But like all good things, there is a catch: Mario will also have to visit the doctor's patients, while the doctor guides him through the use of an earpiece.

A Chiara

October 1 at 5:30 pm

A Chiara brings audiences in the footsteps of 15-year-old Chiara Guerrasio, a bright girl with a strong personality who is very much loved by her father. However, her happy life suddenly falls apart when her father leaves the city for a long business travel following her older sister's 18th birthday party.

She then discovers hidden truths from her own relatives that will forever change their close-knit family.

3/19

October 1 at 8:00 pm

This 2021 drama film revolves around a woman named Camilla whose life as a successful lawyer is put into disarray after she gets into a car accident and causes the death of a young undocumented migrant. At first, she only wanted distance herself from the crime and declare herself innocent, but a feeling of responsibility soon eats away at her guilty conscience.

She then meets a man named Bruno who is the morgue's director and is in charge of identifying the victim's identity. With his help, Camilla attempts to rediscover herself and the life she really wants to live.

L'arminuta (The Return)

October 2 at 2:30 pm

What if you're suddenly forced to live with another family for reasons unknown? That is the question that The Return explores as it follows the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who is suddenly uprooted from the family she has lived with until and assigned to another home.

Having lost the ease of her previous life, the girl forced to navigate a new surrounding and learn to live in a small and austere home with her five brothers.

Lasciarsi un giorno a Roma (Breaking Up in Rome)

October 2 at 5:30

Last but definitely not the least in the festival's roster is the romantic comedy film Breaking Up in Rome, which revolves around Tommaso and Zoe, a couple dealing with relationship problems after ten years of living together. Zoe tried to find the right ways and words to end their romance, and so she tries to write to an advice columnist to know the proper way to do it.

However, what she doesn't know is that her letter ends up in the hands of the person she is breaking up with.