A neorealist investigation capturing Italian youth perspectives on the future through spontaneous interviews and temporal reflection.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Territorial Inquiry Launch
Three directors initiate a nationwide investigation to capture youth visions of the future. They traverse Italian landscapes, establishing a spontaneous and poetic documentary framework.
Key Events
Documentary Premise Established — Three directors launch an investigation to explore youth visions of the future.
Location: Italy
Interviews Across Regions — Directors conduct spontaneous interviews with 15-20 year olds nationwide.
Location: Various Italian Territories
Pasolini Reference Introduced — The film explicitly links its methodology to Pasolini's earlier human research.
Location: Narrative Space
Italian Territory — The physical and cultural landscape traversed during the investigation.
Location: Italy
Film Stock — Physical medium used to capture the passage of time and interviews.
Location: Production
Past Echoes and Casualty
Interviews naturally drift toward historical references, linking contemporary youth to Pasolini's legacy. The directors embrace chance encounters and marginal perspectives.
Key Events
Pasolini Reference Introduced — The film explicitly links its methodology to Pasolini's earlier human research.
Location: Narrative Space
Transversal Gaze Applied — Directors adopt a marginal yet central perspective, driven by journey casualty.
Location: Interview Sites
Past References Emerge — Interviews invariably circle back to past events when discussing the future.
Location: Discussion Spaces
Comizi d'amore — Past documentary that serves as a direct methodological and thematic anchor.
Location: Cinematic Reference
Spontaneous Discussion Phase — Directors allow unscripted dialogue to shape the narrative direction.
Location: Interview Settings
Coincidence and Circumstance — The narrative is propelled by chance meetings and situational factors.
Location: Journey Path
Pandemic Interruption
The Covid-19 emergency abruptly disrupts the narrative flow. Directors document how the crisis reshapes daily routines and forces a reevaluation of the original plan.
Key Events
Pandemic Emergency Interrupts — The Covid-19 emergency irrupts into the narrative, altering daily routines.
Location: Italy
Daily Life Impact Assessed — Directors document how the crisis reshapes the protagonists' everyday existence.
Location: Youth Environments
Return to Previous Locations — The crew revisits previously filmed places to observe temporal developments.
Location: Earlier Interview Sites
Coincidence and Circumstance — The narrative is propelled by chance meetings and situational factors.
Location: Journey Path
Advancement Discussion — Directors deliberate on the evolution of their investigative operation.
Location: Reflection Space
Temporal Return and Resolution
The crew revisits earlier locations to observe developments. The film synthesizes voices into a neorealist portrait, acknowledging the deprivation of the future while restoring youth agency.
Key Events
Return to Previous Locations — The crew revisits previously filmed places to observe temporal developments.
Location: Earlier Interview Sites
Sedimentation of Interviews — The directors analyze the accumulated interview data and its evolving meaning.
Location: Editing/Reflection Space
Neorealist Study Defined — The film is framed as a neorealist study, using a stethoscope metaphor to listen to youth.
Location: Narrative Framework
Future Deprivation Acknowledged — The narrative highlights how the future was somehow taken from this generation.
Location: Youth Voices
Voice Restoration Attempt — Directors strive to give voice to the youth through spontaneous poetic narration.
Location: Documentary Conclusion
Endless Research Concept — The film concludes that the research directed at the human will never end.
Location: Thematic Space
Generational Portrait Synthesis — The film weaves individual voices into a cohesive national portrait.
Location: Documentary Edit
Stethoscope Metaphor Applied — The directors position themselves as listeners attempting to hear the youth's heartbeat.
Location: Narrative Framework
Human Research Continuation — The film affirms that the pursuit of understanding humanity remains unfinished.
Location: Thematic Conclusion
Story Breakdown
Investigation Framework — Establishes the documentary's core methodology and geographical scope.
Nationwide Interviews — Directors conduct unscripted conversations with 15-20 year olds.
Territorial Traversal — The journey moves across diverse Italian landscapes and communities.
Cinematic Lineage — Connects the film's approach to historical documentary traditions.
Pasolini Homage — Explicitly references Comizi d'amore as a methodological ancestor.
Human Research Continuity — Positions the film as an ongoing inquiry into the human condition.
Narrative Disruption — Introduces external forces that alter the original investigative plan.
Pandemic Interruption — Covid-19 emergency forces narrative adaptation and reflection.
Daily Life Impact — Documents how the crisis reshapes youth routines and perspectives.
Temporal Reflection — Explores the relationship between past memories and future aspirations.
Past References — Interviews naturally circle back to historical and personal memories.
Neorealist Synthesis — Consolidates individual voices into a cohesive national portrait.
Stethoscope Metaphor — Directors position themselves as listeners attuned to youth voices.
Generational Portrait — Weaves disparate interviews into a unified depiction of Italian youth.
Thematic Resolution — Concludes with philosophical reflections on time, voice, and inquiry.
Future Deprivation — Acknowledges how systemic factors stripped the generation of future prospects.
Voice Restoration — Affirms the documentary's role in amplifying marginalized youth perspectives.
A portrait of Italy observed through the eyes of teenagers who talk about the places they live in and imagine themselves, torn between the opportunities that surround them, the dream of what they want to become, the fear of failing, the trials they hope to overcome.
Directed by
Pietro Marcello, Alice Rohrwacher, Francesco Munzi
