Film: Vermiglio

Dante Fall 2025 Film Series: Film Festival Favorites

With the patronage of the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco

Series description:This fall’s series showcases works that have captivated film festival audiences worldwide, winning major awards for their portrayals of Italian and Italian-American life. These films richly evoke distinct times and places, from an Alpine village at the end of World War II to the Roman party scene, and from California’s banks to the global stage. Together they celebrate the many ways that Italian culture endures and evolves across time and borders.

The second film in the series is:  Vermiglio, Directed by Maura Delpero. 2024. 119 minutes

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=701RfY55ppQ

Filmed with painterly grace under natural light from frigid winter to redemptive spring, the lush and breathtaking beauty of the Alps provides the physical and emotional backdrop for Vermiglio. This singular portrait of a sprawling family, set in the small, mountainous village of Vermiglio during the waning days of WWII, follows the dramatic events that unfold after a taciturn Sicilian soldier deserts the army and goes into hiding in the village. While there, the soldier develops a romance with the family’s eldest daughter, Lucia, upsetting the family’s delicate balance.

Vermiglio won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, took home the David di Donatello Awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, and was selected as Italy’s official Oscar submission.

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All films in Italian with English subtitles.

Logan Walker, film lecturer from UCSC & Director of Programming, Santa Cruz Film Festival, will introduce and field questions about all films.

Parking is $4 in the closest parking lot "L" near the Music and Theater buildings / pay at the kiosk machine and place the receipt on your dashboard.