“A Little Light”, a moving Iranian drama

A moving and deeply felt film, “Un po’ di luce” is directed in a very static style, yet the shots still manage to convey powerful emotions, thanks to the character’s direct gazes into the camera – which allow us to empathise even more with the protagonist – and to Asgari’s attention to staging.

Whilst one may find echoes of the socially engaged films of Mohammad Rasoulouf and Jafar Panahi (the directors, respectively, of the aforementioned *The Seed of the Sacred Fig* and *A Simple Accident*), there is, however, one name from the great history of Iranian cinema that is evoked even more strongly: that of Abbas Kiarostami and, in particular, his splendid *Taste of Cherry*, a feature film that shares many similarities with the plot of *A Little Light*.

The latter also has the merit of being a genuine ‘instant-movie’, capable of addressing current affairs in Iran (Donald Trump is even mentioned) with both force and sensitivity.

The film takes a while to get going, but it builds momentum as it progresses, reaching its climax in a finale that’s just the right amount of emotional. Like the vast majority of Iranian films that are released in this country, it’s an absolute must-see.

Another pleasant surprise is *La città dei vivi* by Edoardo Gabbriellini, loosely based on the novel of the same name by Strega Prize-winning author Nicola Lagioia, which recounts the tragic story of Luca Varani, the 23-year-old who was murdered in Rome in March 2016.

In Gabbriellini’s film, Luca spends his days with his group of friends and is involved in a very intense romantic relationship. He finds himself in that liminal phase where the future seems wide open and, at the same time, elusive. In his attempt to find his place in the world, he ends up leading a fragmented existence, made up of fragile balances and conflicting identities. But a single night – an encounter that seems entirely chance – is enough to change everything drastically.

By turning the classic conventions of the crime film on their head, Gabbriellini pulls off a truly clever and unconventional feat, focusing on the everyday life of the boy and his adoptive family and making use of a minimalism and simplicity rarely seen in a film of this kind.

There is nothing overtly dramatic about this film, which unfolds at a slow pace, making its story all the more unsettling. It is such a radical film that it can be either loved or hated, but it certainly cannot leave you indifferent.