The Moment of Transition

Until she was 16, filmmaker Chiara Marotta lived in a Christian community where everything revolved around prayer and reflection. Life was bound by regularity and rules that kept contact with the outside world to a minimum. The rebellious Marotta couldn’t stand it, but when she left, her grandmother, mother, and sister stayed behind.

Just before the community is about to move to a complex outside the city, Marotta returns to start a conversation. The cinematic account of this confrontation is frank and direct. Shots of the sedate existence indoors are juxtaposed with animations in which cars drive away and churches go up in flames. These reflect the filmmaker’s anger and frustration; her direct questions receive only bland answers which reveal that her family members care more about their God than about her. Does the community’s move also herald a final goodbye to her family?

Nominated for the IDFA Award for Best First Feature