''The Staggering Girl'' is a 2019
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
directed by
Luca Guadagnino
Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alon ...
. The film was produced in collaboration with
Valentino
Valentino may refer to
People
* Valentino (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Valentino (given name), including a list of people with the name
Mononymous persons
* Valentino (fashion designer) (born Valentino Clemente Ludovic ...
creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. It was written by
Michael Mitnick
Michael Mitnick (born September 7, 1983) is an American playwright and screenwriter.
Early life
Mitnick grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Fox Chapel Area High School, a public school in the Allegheny Valley. His father is a profe ...
and stars
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent ...
,
Mia Goth
Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress. After modelling as a teenager, Goth made her acting debut in the erotic art film '' Nymphomaniac'' (2013). She earned recognition with the films '' A Cure For Wellness' ...
,
KiKi Layne
Kiandra "KiKi" Layne (born December 10, 1991) is an American actress. She is known for her film roles in the romantic drama ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' (2018), the drama ''Native Son'' (2019), the action superhero film '' The Old Guard'' (202 ...
,
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...
,
Marthe Keller
Marthe Keller (born 28 January 1945) is a Swiss actress. She is perhaps best known for her role in the film '' Marathon Man'' (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Career
Early years
Keller studied ballet as a child, bu ...
and
Alba Rohrwacher
Alba Caterina Rohrwacher (, ; born 27 February 1979) is an Italian-German actress.
Early life
Alba Rohrwacher was born in Florence to a German father and an Italian mother.
From the age of 17 to 21 she studied medicine, intending to be a doctor ...
.
It had its world premiere at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in the
Directors Fortnight
The Directors' Fortnight (, formerly ) is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festival as a ...
section on May 17, 2019. It was released on February 15, 2020, by
Mubi
Mubi (; stylized as MUBI; the Auteurs before 2010) is a global streaming platform, production company and film distributor. MUBI produces and theatrically distributes films by emerging and established filmmakers, which are exclusively available ...
.
Plot
Francesca Moretti is an Italian-American writer living in New York. She is the daughter of a famous Italian painter, Sofia Moretti, who now lives in Rome and is suffering from blindness and aging-related frailty. When Francesca learns that her mother’s condition is worsening, she reluctantly decides to return to Italy, revisiting painful memories from her past.
As Francesca navigates her journey, the film blurs the boundaries between reality, dream, and memory. She recalls moments from her youth, particularly her relationship with her mother, a demanding but brilliant artist. These recollections are interwoven with surreal encounters and fragmented emotions, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
As Francesca reconnects with her mother, their tense relationship is rekindled. Sofia’s blindness serves as both a literal and metaphorical symbol of her inability to see Francesca for who she truly is. Francesca’s return forces her to confront not only her mother’s legacy but also her own uncertainties about her identity, art, and life choices.
The film concludes ambiguously, with Francesca caught between past and present, reality and illusion. Her journey is less about resolution and more about embracing the fragmented, emotional nature of memory.
Cast
*
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent ...
as Francesca Moretti
*
Marthe Keller
Marthe Keller (born 28 January 1945) is a Swiss actress. She is perhaps best known for her role in the film '' Marathon Man'' (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Career
Early years
Keller studied ballet as a child, bu ...
as Sofia Moretti
**
Mia Goth
Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress. After modelling as a teenager, Goth made her acting debut in the erotic art film '' Nymphomaniac'' (2013). She earned recognition with the films '' A Cure For Wellness' ...
as young Sofia
*
KiKi Layne
Kiandra "KiKi" Layne (born December 10, 1991) is an American actress. She is known for her film roles in the romantic drama ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' (2018), the drama ''Native Son'' (2019), the action superhero film '' The Old Guard'' (202 ...
as Adut
*
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...
as Matteo / Bruno / Angelo
*
Alba Rohrwacher
Alba Caterina Rohrwacher (, ; born 27 February 1979) is an Italian-German actress.
Early life
Alba Rohrwacher was born in Florence to a German father and an Italian mother.
From the age of 17 to 21 she studied medicine, intending to be a doctor ...
as Vera
Production
In January 2019, it was announced
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent ...
,
Mia Goth
Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth (born 25 October 1993) is an English actress. After modelling as a teenager, Goth made her acting debut in the erotic art film '' Nymphomaniac'' (2013). She earned recognition with the films '' A Cure For Wellness' ...
,
KiKi Layne
Kiandra "KiKi" Layne (born December 10, 1991) is an American actress. She is known for her film roles in the romantic drama ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' (2018), the drama ''Native Son'' (2019), the action superhero film '' The Old Guard'' (202 ...
,
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...
,
Marthe Keller
Marthe Keller (born 28 January 1945) is a Swiss actress. She is perhaps best known for her role in the film '' Marathon Man'' (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Career
Early years
Keller studied ballet as a child, bu ...
and
Alba Rohrwacher
Alba Caterina Rohrwacher (, ; born 27 February 1979) is an Italian-German actress.
Early life
Alba Rohrwacher was born in Florence to a German father and an Italian mother.
From the age of 17 to 21 she studied medicine, intending to be a doctor ...
had joined the cast of the film, with
Luca Guadagnino
Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alon ...
directing from a screenplay by
Michael Mitnick
Michael Mitnick (born September 7, 1983) is an American playwright and screenwriter.
Early life
Mitnick grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Fox Chapel Area High School, a public school in the Allegheny Valley. His father is a profe ...
.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began in November 2018.
Release
The film had its world première at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in the
Directors Fortnight
The Directors' Fortnight (, formerly ) is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festival as a ...
section on May 17, 2019. Shortly after,
Mubi
Mubi (; stylized as MUBI; the Auteurs before 2010) is a global streaming platform, production company and film distributor. MUBI produces and theatrically distributes films by emerging and established filmmakers, which are exclusively available ...
acquired distribution rights excluding Italy, China, Japan, Russia and theatrical rights in Turkey to the film. It was released on February 15, 2020.
Reception
Review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
identified of critic reviews as positive, with an average rating of .
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staggering Girl
2019 short films
Italian short films
Films directed by Luca Guadagnino
Films produced by Luca Guadagnino
Frenesy Film Company films
2019 films
2010s Italian films