The Last to See Them

Sara Summa : 2019
Gli ultimi a vederli vivere

The Durati family lead an idyllic, secluded life in the south of Italy, in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by olive groves. Their daily routines are not particularly spectacular, although the eldest daughter is soon to be married and each of the family members is preparing for the wedding in their own way. It's the younger daughter, Dora, who takes on most of the tasks. She sews the dresses for the bridesmaids, and does the shopping and the cooking. Her mother wanders around the house like a ghost, complaining of a headache, her father is busy dealing with an insurance agent with whom he took out life insurance, and her brother is making a wooden shrine intended as a wedding present. Through the eyes of each of the characters, the events are repeated from different perspectives, and at certain moments, a few new details emerge as the story progresses. The film makes no secret of the fact that father Enzo, mother Alice, daughter Dora and son Matteo will not survive the coming day. The knowledge of their imminent demise changes how the viewer sees their everyday actions, their plans both big and small. The fragility of life shines through and it almost feels like everything is slowing down. The smallest events are lent greater significance, making the inescapable end appear like a trancelike countdown. By concentrating so radically on the "before", the story of a brutal crime is told in an entirely unique way. It is much more a tender tale of life than one of death. We're the last to see them living. Sara Summa's feature debut premiered in the Forum section at Berlin International Film Festival 2019.