A World Apart

A box office hit in Italy, this heartwarming dramatic comedy from Riccardo Milani (LIKE A CAT ON A HIGHWAY 1 & 2) explores small town life and the power of education. After 40 years of teaching in the metropolitan jungle of Rome, primary school teacher Michele Cortese (Antonio Albanese) moves to an idyllic village in the heart of the Abruzzo National Park, to teach at a tiny school with only a handful of students aged seven to ten. He struggles to overcome the challenges of small-town life to entertaining results but finds a friendly face in vice-principal Agnese (Virginia Raffaele) and gradually adapts, thanks to her and their spirited pupils. However, when all seems well, unwelcome news arrives: the school has failed to meet its student enrolment quota for the next year and will be forced to close. So begins a race against time to save the school, whatever it takes. Filmed on location in Abruzzo, A WORLD APART highlights the sense of community spirit, creativity and resilience in small towns.

Born in Rome in 1958, Riccardo Milani is a director and screenwriter for film and TV. After time as assistant director for Mario Monicelli, Nanni Moretti, and more, he made his feature debut in 1994 with Good Luck Professor. His films include The Soul’s Place (2003), and Like a Cat on a Highway 1 & 2 (IFF18 & IFF21).