Beautiful Summer (La Bella Estate) will be playing as part of the Cinema Made In Italy Festival on 22 March
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES PROVIDED BY CINEMA MADE IN ITALY
Watch Laura Luchetti’s stunning Italian film Beautiful Summer (La Bella Estate) on 22 March at Ciné Lumière in South Kensington as part of Cinema Made In Italy. The screening will also feature a Q&A with the acclaimed director Laura Luchetti afterwards.
Following the journey of teenager Ginia, Beautiful Summer dives into a world full of longing. Sapphic longing. Longing to be seen. Longing to be loved. Longing to move out of Turin and start a new life.
Starring Yile Yara Vianello (Ginia) and Deva Cassel (Amelia), the film watches as countryside girl Ginia’s whole world is shaken by the arrival of her new friend Amelia. This dazzling new figure, who poses nude for painters and runs in the rain, offers Ginia a chance to satiate her burning desires. Akin to other LGBTQIA cult classics like Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, this stunning film is an erotic and exciting exploration of love and self-discovery.
Loosely inspired by a novel of the same name by Cesare Pavese, this gorgeous film takes the audience on an intimate journey full of crushes, confusion, and cigarettes. Set in 1938 Turin, Beautiful Summer is imbued with a summer haze throughout, glowing with sunlit decadence and tantalising teasing. Yile Yara Vianello’s performance is especially notable, capturing the internal struggle that the countryside girl faces when she realises the feelings she holds for her friend.
Laura Luchetti is best known for directing the film Twin Flower (2018) and the short film Sugarlove (2018).
This year marks the 14th Cinema Made In Italy, an event which celebrates the best of Italian film. Curated by Adrian Wootton OBE, this year will see 10 titles shown to audiences, some followed by Q&As. You can find out more here: cinema-made-in-italy
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