Keswick Film Club - Reviews - A Chiara

The film shown last Sunday at the Keswick Film Club, "A Chiara", had a rawness and depth given to it by the use of unprofessional actors. In fact, the family of the main character, Chiara, was played by her natural family and added to the film's great sense of realism.

The story is of an adolescent girl living in southern Italy whose father mysteriously disappears but no-one seems willing to talk about what has happened. She comes to realise that there is some connection with the mafia, but again no-one will talk about it. This exposes her to a sense of shame and confusion and her behaviour worsens. Finally she is sent away by social services, but escapes and flees back home.

Swamy Rotolo, playing the lead Chiara, is remarkable. She carries the film with her mesmerising face showing humiliation one moment then anger, fear and defeat – all with so little 'acting'. Ultimately Chiara realises that she has to choose between her family and a life of being controlled, or freedom in a world she does not know.

Throughout the film she enigmatically shows different sides of her character, making either choice completely understandable and giving the film a strong narrative, but no clue to how it might be resolved until the last few minutes.