Laura Samani's 'Un anno di scuola' cements her as Italy's most promising filmmaker
Laura Samani is gaining recognition as a talented filmmaker from Italy with her latest feature, 'Un anno di scuola', which hit theaters this week following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025, where it received widespread acclaim. The film, set in 2007 Trieste, tells the story of a Swedish girl as she completes her final year at a technical school. Samani's first film, 'Piccolo corpo', released in 2021, earned her the David di Donatello for best debut director. 'Un anno di scuola' also secured the Best Actor award for Giacomo Covi in Venice's Orizzonti section and showcases non-professional actors, including lead Stella Wendick. Samani adapted the screenplay from Giani Stuparich's 1929 novel and is scheduled to attend the Zurich Film Festival in October 2025.
Key facts
- Laura Samani released her second film 'Un anno di scuola' in April 2026
- The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025, winning the Best Actor award in the Orizzonti section
- Samani's 2021 debut 'Piccolo corpo' won the David di Donatello for best first-time director and was selected for Cannes' Semaine de la critique
- The film is set in 2007 Trieste and features non-professional actors
- Swedish lead actress Stella Wendick learned Italian for the role
- The soundtrack features early-2000s post-punk music from the Trieste-Pordenone area, including a re-recorded Prozac+ song
- Samani adapted the story from Giani Stuparich's 1929 novel 'Un anno di scuola'
- Critic Francesco Alò called Samani one of Italy's most important and interesting directors
Entities
Artists
- Laura Samani
- Giani Stuparich
- Marco Borromei
- Elisa Dondi
- Giacomo Covi
- Stella Wendick
- Gian Maria Accusani
- Elisa
- Francesco Alò
- Lorenzo Ciofani
- Matteo Garrone
- Paolo Sorrentino
- Maura Delpero
Institutions
- Venice Film Festival
- Zurich Film Festival
- Cannes Film Festival
- Semaine de la critique
- David di Donatello
- Variety
- Cinematografo.it
Locations
- Trieste
- Italy
- Venice
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Pordenone