Classmates

Starring a splendid Anna Ferzetti (La Grazia IFF25) and based on Gaja Cenciarelli’s eponymous, autobiographical novel, Classmates is an intergenerational dramatic comedy about the power of education, respect and community that sees the relationship between a driven teacher and her pupils transcend the school gates. An English teacher (Ferzetti), who is convinced of the fundamental value of education, is assigned to a challenging high school in Rome’s Rebibbia neighbourhood. Her colleagues have lost hope of making anything of the last class, a melting pot of the most difficult and reluctant students. Amid difficult lives, broken families, late-night antics, first loves, and preconceptions, the students are convinced that life outside of school is hostile. Their teacher, or rather, "Pressoré," as everyone calls her, has three options. She could run away like her predecessors, turn a blind eye, or step into the lion's den. So, "Pressoré" attempts to find a way to reach their hearts and give meaning both to their school journey and her life as a teacher.

Born in 1970 in Rome, Italy, Umberto Riccioni Carteni is a film director and screenwriter. His debut film Different From Whom (2009) was awarded the Italian Golden Globe for Best First Film. His recent film, The Love Scam (2025) topped the Italian box office in January 2025. Classmates is his eighth feature film.