The Lesson

Starring Matilda De Angelis (Fuori IFF25) and Stefano Accorsi (Diamonds IFF25), The Lesson is a psychological thriller and legal drama from Stefano Mordini, based on the eponymous novel by Marco Franzoso, reflecting on truth, justice, duplicity and paranoia. Elisabetta (De Angelis) is a young and brilliant lawyer from Trieste. Having successfully defended the charismatic university professor Angelo (Accorsi) against charges of sexual assault in the past, she is contacted by him again to file a lawsuit against the university which, despite reinstating him, has relegated him to a marginal role. At the same time, a nightmare from her past comes back to haunt her: strange signs, elusive presences, and a constant sense of threat plant the suspicion that her former partner Daniele, a violent and obsessive man convicted of stalking, has resumed his torment. As the boundary between reality and imagination grows increasingly blurred, Elisabetta decides to uncover the truth. Soon the tension begins to rise to a crescendo that will ultimately force her to question everything she thought she knew.

Born in Marradi, Italy in 1968, Stefano Mordini has been directing music videos and documentaries since the mid-1990s. In 2002 he began teaching at the Istituto Universitario di Lingue Moderne in Milan. As a film director and screenwriter, Mordini is known for You Came Back (IFF21), The Invisible Witness (IFF19), Pericle il Nero (2016) and Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia (2024).