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Italian film “Idda” recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the TIFF Platform competition. The production has garnered positive early reception and holds significance as the first year that non-English language winners from this competition are automatically eligible for consideration at the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.
Helmed by director Irene Dionisio and featuring performers Tecla Insolia and Romana Maggiora Vergano, the film follows two childhood friends embarking on a climb up Mount Etna, an active volcano located on Sicily’s eastern coast. The narrative centers on Sofia and Adele, contrasting personalities bound by deep connection, as they navigate unresolved tensions, hidden grievances, and anxieties about their changing lives during their challenging ascent.
The volcano itself serves as a central metaphor throughout the story. In Sicilian dialect, “idda” translates to “she” and refers to Mount Etna, the female volcano. According to Dionisio, the mountain embodies contradictory forces—simultaneously nurturing and destructive, maternal yet unpredictable. As the protagonists climb toward the crater, their physical journey mirrors an emotional one, allowing them to confront suppressed feelings about memory, friendship, and life transitions that have created distance between them.
Dionisio conceived the project as an exploration of female friendship, grief, and the profound transformations accompanying adulthood. The film was produced by multiple Italian production companies, with Rai Cinema International Distribution managing its international distribution.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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