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Each young person faces his or her own challenges in growing up. It could be a war or recession. It could be something more personal, like bullying or the breakup of a family. Or, for kids today, a pandemic. In the Italian coming-of-age story, Alone with Her Dreams (or Picciridda), one young girl’s life is shaped by a traumatic year.
Alone with Her Dreams tells the heartbreaking story of Lucia (Marta Castiglia), a young girl who’s left behind when her parents leave Italy to find work in France. Lucia is left in the care of her cold and stern grandmother, Donna Maria (Lucia Sardo), who’s revered in the community, though she holds a very strong but secret grudge against her sister and her family. As Lucia struggles with life without her parents, she finds herself drawn to the forbidden part of the family and their secrets.
Lucia’s year away from her parents does have a lighthearted moment or two—thanks to the one other girl who ignores the bullies and befriends her at school. This small seaside town also has a remarkable energy, from the noisy streets and markets to the boisterous processions—and even the strikingly rocky coastlines. And many of the female characters—especially iron-willed Donna Maria—possess remarkable strength.
But this poor little girl also spends a lot of her time being reprimanded by her strong but generally disapproving grandmother. In fact, she’s so lonely that, at one point, she takes to leading a chicken around on a leash. At the same time, as the story plays out, it becomes clear that all isn’t right for this family. The film eventually reveals what some of these strong women have had to endure to make them strong—and that adds to the increasing weight of Lucia’s experience.
Eventually, as the film closes, the story is tied together quickly, catching up with a grown-up Lucia decades later, after the death of her grandmother. In the end, Lucia’s part in this family’s experiences feels underplayed—something that would add more depth and an emotional connection to the film—but it does offer more insight into some of the characters around her.
Alone with Her Dreams isn’t an easy-going coming-of-age story. It’s filled with challenges, pain, and difficult relationships. But in the midst of the grim realities of this little girl’s life, the strong female characters still manage to shine through.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
