Film: Alone with Her Dreams [Picciridda] (99 min)

DANTE ALIGHIERI SANTA CRUZ Winter 2024 FILM Series:

Majestic Landscapes and impetuous Passion

With the patronage of the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco

Our films this winter are recent releases showcasing Italy’s breathtaking natural landscapes, from the Alps to the majestic marble quarries of Carrara to Sicily’s beaches. These settings serve both as inspiration and challenge for the protagonists, each embarking on a journey of self-discovery.

The March Film is: Alone with Her Dreams [Picciridda]. Dir. Paolo Licata. 2020 (99 min).

Trailer

Set in late 1960s Favignana, off Sicily’s west coast, Alone with Her Dreams is a story about coming of age in an era when many are leaving the island to find work elsewhere. Known as picciridda, or little girl, 11-year-old protagonist Lucia is distraught when her parents and brother emigrate to France for work, leaving her in the care of her strict grandmother, Maria, known as Donna Maria or “The General.” Some on the island pity Lucia but Donna Maria responds to her granddaughter’s loneliness with tough love and strict rules. Lucia seeks solace taking long walks along Favignana’s dazzling beaches, exploring the quarries, and through friendship. She comes to learn of Donna Maria’s great strength and of her reasons for her determination to protect her granddaughter.

Based on a best-selling novel by Catena Fiorello, Alone with Her Dreams has received many awards and nominations, including Best First Picture and Best Original Score at the Italian Golden Globes. Critics praise the rich scenery, moving performances by Lucia Sardo as Donna Maria and Marta Castiglia as Lucia, and inspiring depiction of camaraderie among girls and women, with Oliver Stone

calling the film “a new Italian classic from the heart.”

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All films in Italian with English subtitles.

Logan Walker, film lecturer from UCSC & Director of Programming, Santa Cruz Film Festival, will introduce and field questions about all films.

Street parking is free or you can pay for parking in the closest parking lot "L" near the Music and Theater buildings / pay at the kiosk machine.