A Common Story

Erika and Mauro are accustomed to their quotidian routines and live a simple life in provincial central Italy. Erika (portrayed by the incomparable, shapeshifting Alba Rohrwacher, also at the Festival with A Good Little Soldier) works as a cashier at the local market while Mauro (Guido Caprino, last at the Festival in 2017 with Godard Mon Amour, in a heartfelt performance) works as a day labourer. When their adored daughter leaves home to study — far from the reach of her doting parents — the house empties and, in a heartbeat, the two are left alone together. 

Having always defined herself by caring for others, Erika is suddenly adrift. Mauro, raised by an authoritarian father who is still in the picture, meanders through the newly created void, encountering long-hidden vulnerabilities around every corner. But as they still have many years ahead of them, the nascent empty nesters must adapt to a new way of life, refocus their worlds, and find balance.

Co-written with Tania Pedroni and Matteo Ferri, Anna Foglietta’s debut feature is an intimate exploration of making peace with the passage of time, welcoming the possibility of transformation, and finding a new compass with which to navigate an unknown future. 

Elegantly shot by Andrea Benjamin Manenti, the film vividly captures a complex spectrum of difficult emotions, lingering in each gesture and every moment of silence. With their truths finally laid bare, the couple must face one another and, most critically, themselves. A Common Story is certain to resonate with singles and couples alike. 

DOROTA LECH