Synopsis
Rome, the 1970s: a world suspended between new districts under construction and TV variety shows still in black & white, social achievements and family models that have become obsolete.
Clara and Felice have just moved into a new apartment. Their marriage is over: they no longer love each other but can’t break up. Their children, on whom Clara pours all her desire for freedom, are the only thing still holding them together.
Adriana, the eldest, has just turned 12 and is the acute observer of Clara’s moods and of the growing tensions between her parents. She rejects her name and identity. She tries to convince everyone she’s a boy and her obstinacy takes the already fragile family balance to a breaking point.
As the children wait for a sign to guide them, be it a voice from above or a song on TV, everything is changing around and within them.
Director's Notes
L’immensità is the film I’ve always been chasing: it was always “my next film”, but each time it would make way for another story, as if I never felt ready, mature or secure enough.
It’s a film about memory and it needed a greater distance, a different awareness. Like all my works, it is above all a film about the family: about the innocence of children and their relationship with a mother who could only come to life thanks to the encounter, an artistic and human one, with Penélope Cruz, with her sensitivity and extraordinary ability to interact with three very young non-actors who’d never performed before. Luana, Patrizio and Maria Chiara remained children throughout, and as such were always intensely and immensely authentic.
Emanuele Crialese
Director
Emanuele Crialese (Rome, 1965) studied film direction at New York University, graduating in 1995.
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Technical Cast
Director
Emanuele Crialese
Screenplay
Emanuele Crialese, Francesca Manieri, Vittorio Moroni
Editing
Clelio Benevento
Music
Rauelsson
Set decorator
Alessia Anfuso
Casting
Chiara Polizzi, Davide Zurolo
Supervising producers
Saverio Guarascio, Mandella Quilici
Producer
Mario Gianani e Lorenzo Gangarossa
Executive producer
Olivia Sleiter
Production companies
Wildside (una società del gruppo Fremantle), Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia, Chapter 2, Pathé, France 3 Cinema
Italian distribution
Warner Bros. Pictures
Story
Emanuele Crialese
Cinematography
Gergely Pohárnok
First assistant director
Ciro Scognamiglio
Set designer
Dimitri Capuani
Costumes
Massimo Cantini Parrini
Sound mixer
Pierre-Yves Lavoué
Colorist
Red
Co-producer
Dimitri Rassam, Ardavan Safaee
Line producer
Erik Paoletti
With the participation of
Canal+, Ciné+, France Televisions
International sales
Pathé