An alienating Turin sets the backdrop for the only Italian film in Competition: a story of bodies, love, light, and shadow. It tells the painful relationship between Gioia, a high school teacher who has never known true love, and Alessio, a student who sells his body to support his mother. Director Nicolangelo Gelormini presents a powerful, thoughtful feature with a tragic ending, inspired by a real-life event that shocked Italy. Despite their differences, the characters are united by a longing to feel accepted in life’s isolation and ordinariness. Based on a play by Giuliano Scarpinato and Gioia Salvatori.