September 2007, Trieste, Northeast Italy. Fred, an exuberant and brave girl of seventeen, arrives in town and enrolls in her High School Senior Year. She finds herself as the only girl in an all-male class and quickly becomes the center of attention, especially for three friends: Antero, charming and reserved, Pasini, cocky womanizer; Mitis, gruff and sagacious. The three have belonged to each other for as long as they can remember.
Fred’s arrival disrupts their homogeneity, putting their longstanding friendship to the test. As each of the guys secretly desires Fred for himself, she yearns to be accepted into the group and become one of them, but is asked to sacrifice more and more in order to belong.
DIRECTOR’S NOTES:
There is a profound and pervasive asymmetry in the way we perceive men and women. Men’sbodies – their corporality, bearing, and dress – convey their potential and abilities, while women’s bodies communicate what can and cannot be done to them.
This perception often becomes a social rule: men act, while women simply appear. As a teenager, I spent most of my time with a gang of three boys, and being the only girl felt like a privilege. But it also came with hidden pressures. They were free to say whatever they wanted, while my desires were seen as a threat.
I was faced with a difficult choice: either express my desire and risk being excluded, or remain silent in order to be accepted. This film explores the challenges of growing up as a young woman in a male- dominated world, where women’s bodies and desires can be used against them.
Festival & awards
Busan International Film Festival 2025: Flash Forward
Cinema Made in Italy – Balcani 2025
Cork International Film Festival 2025: Spirit of the Festival
Festival de Cine Europeo de Sevilla 2025: Sección Oficial
Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt 2025: Compétition
La Biennale di Venezia 2025: Orizzonti – Miglior Attore (Giacomo Covi), Premio Lanterna Magica
MittelCinemaFest 2025
Mostra de Cinema Italià de Barcelona 2025
Zurich Film Festival 2025: Feature Film Competition