6.4/10 (IMDB)

Italian Studies

1h 19m Drama

Italian Studies

From award-winning filmmaker Adam Leon, Italian Studies is a lyrical film about dislocation, connection, and the elusive nature of identity. While visiting New York City from her native London, writer Alina Reynolds (Academy Award®-nominee Vanessa Kirby) inexplicably loses her memory and suddenly becomes unmoored and adrift on the streets of Manhattan with no sense of time or place -- or even her own name. As Alina's consciousness swings between imagined conversations, fragments of her own short stories and the bustling city around her, she finds an anchor in charismatic teenager Simon (Simon Brickner). Drawn to the lost woman, Simon soon introduces Alina to his free-spirited group of friends, and together they make their way through a disorienting cityscape full of life, beauty, and music.

Director

Adam Leon

Cast

Vanessa Kirby, David Ajala, Annika Wahlsten

Rating

Not Rated

Year

2022

Country

United States

Language

English


Main Trailer


Reviews

  • "ITALIAN STUDIES is a striking mix of open-hearted storytelling and atmospheric filmmaking, with an overall confidence from Leon and Kirby that’s more pronounced than the script’s slippery nature."
    - The Playlist
  • "While it may raise more questions than answers and not quite cohere as a whole, the film nevertheless is poetic and at times breathtakingly beautiful, anchored by a superb cast."
    - Film Threat
  • "This is a film about an artist who forgets herself, made by an artist trying to do the same, and with the help of an actress looking for an anchor of truth to hold onto right when the tides of stardom are threatening to pull her out to sea."
    - IndieWire

Festivals

  • Tribeca Film Festival
  • American Film Festival