Una Promessa

Spaccapietre

Director: Gianluca & Massimiliano De Serio
Country: Italy, France, Belgium

German Premiere
2020 | 104 min. | Italian
Subtitles: German, English
FSK 18

Cast_ Salvatore Esposito, Samuele Carrino, Lica Lanera Screenplay_ Gianluca & Massimiliano De Serio Camera_ Antoine Héberlé AFC Producer_ Alessandro Borreli, Thomas Ordonneau, Grégory Zalcman Rights_ Shellac

After the sudden death of his mother, little Antò has to work with his father harvesting crops. It’s only a fantastic promise that allows him to endure the hardships of physical labour.

A tragic accident and a desperate promise: you will see your mother again, says Giuseppe to his nine-year-old son Antò after the mother dies while harvesting crops. Since Giuseppe can no longer work in the quarry after having lost an eye on the job, father and son are forced into the same toil that claimed the mother’s life.

The De Serio brothers embed their absorbing and poignant narrative, reminiscent of Italian neorealism, within carefully lit compositions. They depict agriculture in southern Italy as a nightmarish and merciless system of exploitation. At the same time, they succeed in giving the team of father and son the consolation they deserve. A sad film that isn’t after our tears, but our anger. A desperate film that doesn’t give up, but remembers the father's promise until the end.

Director

The multi-award-winning twin brothers Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio have been working together since 1999. Their films have screened at numerous festivals, including Cannes, Rotterdam and Oberhausen. In 2005, their short film Maria Jesus was shortlisted by the Academy Awards. Their feature debut, Seven Works of Mercy, celebrated its premiere in the international competition in Locarno in 2011.

Trailer