Paternal Leave, 2025.
Directed by Alissa Jung.
Starring Juli Grabenhenrich, Luca Marinelli, and Arturo Gabbriellini.
SYNOPSIS:
A teenage girl travels to Italy’s northern coast in search of her biological father. After meeting, the two grapple with complex emotions and struggle to form a connection while staying true to their own identities.
Alissa Jung’s debut film is a truly remarkable piece, dexterously exploring the intricate challenges of parenthood and the profound human desire to establish a stable foundation and a nurturing home environment. The compelling scenery of the Emilia-Romagna coastline in Northern Italy furnishes a suitably dramatic and picturesque backdrop for an examination of familial bonds and self-discovery. The exceptional cinematography and striking visual flair showcased throughout the picture definitively confirm that its Italian locale is an indispensable element of this memorable feature.
We follow 15-year-old Leo, portrayed with captivating authenticity by Juli Grabenhenrich, who resides with her mother in Germany. It is subtly conveyed through voice messages that Leo and her mother share a loving yet somewhat detached connection. Her mother’s constant busyness, in turn, provides an even greater impetus for Leo to embark on a significant quest: the pursuit of her biological father, Luca Marinelli’s Paolo, whom she discovers is now living in Northern Italy.
Leo, a German speaker with no command of the Italian language, nevertheless resourcefully makes her way to the wild beachfront café bar where her long-lost father has established himself. Paolo is visibly taken aback by Leo’s sudden appearance and immediately makes sure she has something to eat before they embark on the arduous task of dialogue. This difficult communication is the heartbeat of the film, as father and daughter strive to comprehend the complicated array of circumstances that have led them to this juncture in their lives.
The screenplay, also penned by Jung, notably draws back from casting excessive judgment on Paolo. Instead, it allows his specific backstory and current circumstances to gently unfold across a series of carefully constructed scenes. He now has a companion and a toddler daughter living close by, and he attempts to keep Leo’s presence a secret from them. Marinelli delivers an outstanding performance, imbuing Paolo with a truly sympathetic essence, though one can’t help but feel that past missed opportunities and previous misjudgements might recur.
A brilliantly written character journey in the narrative is presented through a local boy, Edoardo (Arturo Gabbriellini), who quickly befriends Leo. Edoardo also contends with significant paternal issues; his father struggles to accept his son’s true identity. The two teenagers find common ground in their shared parental struggles and try to imagine a more promising future for themselves. The result is another touching segment in this beautifully made film, which aims to explain the painful trials of existing under the roof of someone who does not want to acknowledge the real you.
Leo’s own journey of understanding her father and the reasons for his prolonged absence from her life is wonderfully explored. The film’s masterful use of poetic imagery drawn from the natural surroundings breathes vivid life into this enduring human narrative of forgiveness. Every frame contributes to the dreamlike intensity of the work, making it a thought-provoking watch for anyone contemplating the power of human connection
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk
