IFF: Parthenope

Synopsis

Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino’s take on the Greek myth of Parthenope – the Siren who attempted to lure Odysseus, both the inspiration for this film and the founding myth of the city of Naples.

Parthenope herself is transposed to a contemporary setting and played in a lush allegorical story by dazzling actress Celeste Dalla Porta. Parthenope is a personification of the city, entwined in desires, forbidden love, beauty and danger.

The film is an irresistible aesthetic feast, where the locations, camera work, and sensuality create something both ancient and original. Enigma, mythology and dazzling beauty meld poetically together to elevate this coming-of-age story into something indiscernible, fleeting and mysterious, like youth itself.

The great Gary Oldman as a wealthy, drunken poet in existential limbo is the perfect juxtaposition to the innocence of youth. Let Sorrentino transport you to the sun-soaked shores of the Bay of Naples, where the ancient is alive in every moment of the present.