Balancing Act

[Gli equilibristi]

Country: Italy/France Year: 2012 Duration: 107 mins Language: Italian with English subtitles Genre Drama Director: Ivano De Matteo Cast: Valerio Mastandrea, Barbora Bobulova, Maurizio Casagrande Classification Exemption: 15+

When husband and father of two Giulio (Valerio Mastandrea) upsets his comfortable life by having an affair, his wife Elena (Barbora Bobulova, The Ages of Love IFF11) cannot forgive him. Taking full responsibility, Giulio decides to move out, promising that he will continue to support the family financially despite his meagre monthly salary. He is faced with the problem of where to move; his friends have their own problems without having to support him, apartments are too expensive and he resists staying with his mistress.

Finding a one-room, shared-bathroom pensione, Giulio plunges deeper and deeper into poverty as he struggles to pay for his separation, borrowing more and more money before hitting rock bottom. Told with irony and humour amid the tragedy, this is a moving film about the thin line between having it all and having nothing. The beautifully written screenplay is realistic, relevant and also very touching, with the stoic and sympathetic character of Giulo at its heart.

Audiences will remember Mastandrea from last year’s festival films Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy and Things From Another World. His outstanding performance in this film won him the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival last year and it is widely hailed as the best of his career.

Australian Premiere
AWARDS / FESTIVALS:
2013 David di Donatello - Best Actor (Valerio Mastandrea - winner); Best Supporting Actress (nominated)
,
2012 Venice Film Festival - Pasinette Award (Best Acting Performance - Valerio Mastandrea)
All non-English language films will screen in the festival with English subtitles.