Seventeen-year-old Antonio (Giampiero De Concilio) dreams of becoming a football star. Miriam (Anna Foglietta), his mother, dreams of rebuilding her family following the abandonment of her husband. When a football scout turns their eye to Antonio, the family dynamic changes.

The directorial feature debut from Ciro D'Emilio, IF LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS premiered in the Horizons section at the Venice Film Festival where was nominated for Best Film and went on to win two Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists acting awards for Anna Foglietta (Silver Ribbon) and Giampiero De Concilio (Guglielmo Biraghi Award).

“With its attention to detail when it comes to depicting Southern Italian life, including the carefully observed Neapolitan dialect, which sharply separates the narrative from its northern peers, IF LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS is a deeply intimate but somber film, which feels like a genuinely personal work.” –Cineuropa

DIRECTED BY CIRO D'EMILIO
ITALY | 2018 | ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES