Three Italian directors – Pietro Marcello, Francesco Munzi and Alice Rohrwacher – take the pulse of their country by talking to the individuals who make up its future. It’s a simple idea: a series of interviews with young people on the brink of adulthood, exploring their hopes and concerns as they move into the next stage of their lives. But this lovely, thoughtful documentary, which visits cities, suburbs and provincial communities, has a cumulative power.
The film-makers couldn’t have anticipated it, but the fact that the production was interrupted by the pandemic brings an added depth to the insights – youngsters in the process of deciding who they are find their journey disrupted, their certainties shaken. Some talk eloquently, some glare at the camera with cagey mistrust. But the point of this worthwhile and frequently fascinating project is that all have the opportunity to be heard.
