Kent and I were swept away by this film today at Lincoln Center. Exiting the theater, we glanced into the nearby cafe and saw director Susanna Nicchiarelli sitting at a nearby table. We spoke to her and told her how much we enjoyed the film; she stood up and smiled; we had a sweet private conversation with her for a minute or two. We were so excited to be able to share with her our appreciation of her brilliant and engaging film!
THE DISCOVERY AT DAWN
LA SCOPERTA DELL'ALBA | SUSANNA NICCHIARELLI, 2012
ITALY | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | 95 MINUTES
"Rome, 1981: Professor Mario Tessandori is shot in the university courtyard and dies in the arms of Lucio Astengo, his friend and colleague. A few weeks later, Astengo vanishes mysteriously. Flash forward to 2011. Caterina and Barbara Astengo, six and 12 when their father passed away, put up for sale their family cottage by the sea, which has long since been abandoned. The house is filled with memories of a childhood interrupted by the father's disappearance, a broken family that never reassembled. In one corner, there's an old phone still attached to the outlet. Caterina picks it up and discovers that, inexplicably, it works, even though the line is disconnected. Playfully, she dials her home number from 30 years earlier and hears the voice of a child responding on the other end. In shock, she realizes that she is speaking to her 12-year-old self, a week before the death of her father. She's been given a second chance, if not to save him then at least to uncover the truth. Wonderful performances by Margarita Buy and Nicchiarelli herself as Caterina's sister."
