La Gradiva

A group of French teenagers travels to Naples for a school trip to Pompeii, where the victims of the eruption of Vesuvius have been trapped in stone for centuries. Under the scorching Italian summer sun, the youngsters' suppressed desires, frustrations, and unrequited loves also increasingly come to the surface. One by one, they surrender to feelings they no longer seem to control, until there is no turning back. Cinematograaf Marine Atlan (Le Ravissement, Jessica Forever) makes her feature film debut with La Gradiva, and that is visible in every frame. Her camera stays close to the characters and captures skin, light, shadow, and the shimmering heat of Naples in sensual images. Opposite the petrified bodies of Pompeii, she places a young generation that is bursting with desire and zest for life. A tender and sultry film with a touch of Call Me by Your Name, awarded the Grand Prix of the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes.