Vermiglio effectively highlights how many injustices and prejudices toward women follow us from generation to generation, and paints a picturesque portrait of the price we pay for family.

An unexpected love and mysterious disappearance throw a family in a remote mountain village into turmoil in Vermiglio – Maura Delpero’s beautiful sophomore directorial effort that proved quite a pleasant surprise at this year’s London Film Festival.

Vermiglio is separated into 4 chapters, with each peeling the layers back on the identity of one of the film’s most curious characters: a handsome Sicilian soldier named Pietro who finds respite in the titular Italian village during the second World War. Immediately keen on the young war refugee is Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), the eldest daughter of the local schoolteacher whose wife Adele (Roberta Rovelli) appears to be consistently and exhaustively pregnant.

As Lucia and Pietro’s flirtations transform into love, they seem to be on track to happily ever after. But a big secret is about to reveal a crack in the pair’s picture-perfect veneer and send Lucia into a spiral from which she struggles to recover. Heartache and despair follow the ingenue throughout this story, with her family as unwitting participants along for the ride.

Despite the heavy plot, Vermiglio is sprinkled with many charming children’s performances that really help take the edge off the drama. Rachele Potrich’s role as the teenaged Ada – a hardworking girl who tries so hard to be pious – plays out in a delightful fashion as she fails to suppress her burgeoning attraction to other girls. Her attempts to “atone” for her impurity results in some of the movie’s more humorous moments.

Stunning cinematography and sweeping mountain landscapes make Vermiglio a calming, meditative movie experience despite some of its more startling broader themes. It is an apt, relatable portrayal of the highs and lows of life – whether in 1944 or 2024. 

Vermiglio effectively highlights how many injustices and prejudices toward women follow us from generation to generation, and paints a picturesque portrait of the price we pay for family.

Grade: A

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: Best International Feature
Should be Considered: Best Supporting Actress (Roberta Rovelli and Rachele Potrich)

Release Date: TBA