Jonas Carpignano's 'A Chiara' Premieres at Cannes 2021

Jonas Carpignano returns to Cannes with 'A Chiara', presented at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, four years after 'A Ciambra'. It is the first Italian film at the festival this year. The quasi-documentary tale blurs fiction and reality, following 15-year-old Chiara Guerrasio as she questions her family after her father disappears the day after her sister's 18th birthday. She hears the word 'latitante' (fugitive) linked to her father, leading her to ask 'Who am I? What do I want from my life?' The film is a coming-of-age story inspired by true events, set in Gioia Tauro, where Carpignano has lived for 10 years. It completes an informal trilogy with 'Mediterranea' and 'A Ciambra', each focusing on a different community: African migrants, the Romani community, and now the underworld economy tied to the mafia. Carpignano emphasizes that Gioia Tauro is a microcosm of the globalized world, requiring intimate, local detail to express universal concepts. Lead actress Swamy Rotolo, a non-professional debutante, delivers a powerful performance. The film's score features Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, with a closing track by Madame. Screendaily praised Carpignano as 'artistically more ambitious, creating a horror-toned vision of a devastated land living beyond the law.' The film has been well-received by Italian and international press.