Vivere

It's with great pleasure that we bring you an elegant new film from Angelina Maccarone, whose Unveiled was a highlight of our programme in 2006. Focusing again on the lives of women in transit, Vivere combines a cleverly constructed plot with the honest depiction of female sexuality and relationships we have come to expect from this talented young director.

Set in the still moments between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, three women from different generations search for each other in Rotterdam's empty streets. Francesca, quiet and responsible, has been sent to bring her wayward sister Antonietta home. En route she encounters Gerlinde (played by well-known German actress Hannelore Elsner), who seems at breaking point, facing retirement and the end of an affair with a married woman. Antonietta, meanwhile, has hitched a lift with her older boyfriend's band and is filled with youthful hopes for the future.

All three, in different ways, seem in need of saving, but as the film progresses and the night wears on it becomes less clear who is saving who. Each will reach a turning point, seemingly alone, but, as the plot shifts perspective and we see events from all sides, their connectedness is revealed, their paths crossing and joining in the dark.

Beautifully shot by Judith Kaufman and with distinct but overlapping narratives, Vivere has echoes of Jarmusch's Night On Earth, but with a quiet, European sensibility. Under Maccarone's confident direction the cast deliver performances of real depth and subtlety, showing us the ties of responsibility, family and love that constrict and protect them. With an emphasis on reflection, resolution and moving forward Vivere seems a fitting way to end our Festival.

Anna Dunwoodie