10 Amazing Films From 2022 Nobody Is Talking About
8. A Chiara
Following on from previous films Mediterranea and A Ciambra, A Chiara is the concluding chapter in writer-director Jonas Carpignano’s Calabrian trilogy, which explores the mafia underbelly of the southern Italian region.
Like the filmmaker’s other works, his latest is a visually arresting and thoughtful coming-of-age tale that sees the titular teenager (played wonderfully by Swammy Rotolo) who discovers her father is a fugitive connected to Calabria’s notorious ‘Ndrangheta organisation shortly after her sister’s 18th birthday. With the truth now out in the open, and the teenager’s perception of her family forever changed, she must now make the crucial decision whether to follow her family’s footsteps into crime or to forge her own path in life.
Moving at a carefully constructed pace, Carpignano ensures that audiences are fully immersed and invested in Chiara’s family life so that we’re just as shocked as she is when her world is torn apart. As the youngster strives to find her new place in the world, the script uses her dilemma as the catalyst to explore themes of morality and familial loyalty to astounding effect.
After its world premiere at Cannes last year, A Chiara finally released on Mubi this summer.