Films 2022

Benedetta, 15, lives in rural Italy with her parents and her two little sisters. After work, her father enjoys tinkering with cars while her mother takes out her frustration on Benedetta. When a funfair sets up on the family’s doorstep, she meets a fairground worker named Amanda who lives a self-determined life and defies gender norms. Benedetta is immediately fascinated by the older Amanda’s self- confidence and independence, and school quickly fades into the background. The two barely talk; their cautious friendship is not one fuelled by grand emotions but rather by genial affection, curiosity and unspoken acknowledgement.

Chiara Bellosi depicts them growing closer in quiet moments and precise observations that lend this coming-of-age film both its poetry and a pervasive sense of lightness. Calcinculo takes a tender look at an unusual friendship whilst unfolding a tale of self-discovery and breaking free.