ITAFF25: The Life Apart

THE LIFE APART

La vita accanto

Australian premiere

Directed by Marco Tullio Giodana, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Marco Bellochio and Gloria Malatesta, and inspired by the acclaimed novel by Mariapia Veladiano, A Life Apart is an absorbing drama that explores identity, beauty and the power of music.

Featuring original music by acclaimed composer Dario Marianelli (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Pinocchio), it follows a wealthy and influential family in the beautiful Italian art city Vicenza, consisting of Maria, her husband Osvaldo, and his twin sister Erminia, a renowned concert pianist.

In the early 1980s, after years of trying to conceive, Maria finally gives birth to a long-awaited and eagerly anticipated daughter, Rebecca. However, Rebecca is born with a prominent purple birthmark covering half her face. Despite being otherwise normal and beautiful, the mark becomes an obsession for Maria, leading her to reject her responsibilities as a mother.

Rebecca’s adolescence is marred by shame and isolation until her aunt Erminia takes over her education and discovers her exceptional musical talent, offering her a means to escape her family’s obsessions and secrets.

 2024 | Italy | Italian with English subtitles

FESTIVALS & AWARDS

OFFICIAL SELECTION | Locarno International Film Festival 2024
WINNER | Best Actress, Mostra de València-Cinema del Mediterrani 2024
NOMINEE | Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Nastro d’Argento Awards 2025