alexjames96
- Feb 10, 2023
- 2 min read

Amici Di Familiga Short Film Review

★★★★

Starring: #AlessandroDeMarco, #IdaDiTerlizzi

Amici Di Familiga begins with two siblings brought together under tragic circumstances, a funeral for a member of the family. However, instead of sadness and reminiscing good memories with their uncle, this death brings forth feelings of relief and a joyful reaction for sister Marina. Secrets begin to creep out as brother Francesco begins to question his sister as he notices a man inappropriately touching Marina at the funeral. This short film focuses on family ties and the theme of protection amongst family members. There is this hidden responsibility that is automatically bestowed upon older siblings to protect and shield their younger siblings from any form of harm. Unfortunately, Marina’s childhood left her without this protection from her older brother and she was forced to endure unspeakable acts and stand alone.

The film opens with a black and white tone, this is a great way to highlight the hidden secrets that are yet to be revealed. Everything appears shady and buried deep within protagonist Marina, she is reluctant to fully divulge to her brother her truth and the horrors she has had to face alone. This is until Francesco hits a nerve and persistently questions how she knows this man that was inappropriate towards her. At this point, the film changes into colour which is a clever move as the audience are thrown into the midst of the sibling’s argument and Marina begins to expose everything that has haunted her. The transition from black and white to colour reflects the truth finally coming to light and the realisation for Francesco that his sister has endured tremendous suffering and by him turning a blind eye, this only made things worse for her and meant that she lost her childhood entirely.

Both Francesco and Marina were well rounded characters, each carrying with them some form of burden on their backs, for Francesco it was survivor’s guilt. Unable to turn back time but filled with regret for not looking out for his younger sister. Marina is a character filled with revenge in place of sadness. Throughout her life she has managed to channel her hurt into anger and direct it towards the men that have taken away her childhood, virginity, and innocence. She is powerful in many respects but also hollow in others, she has lost the ability to feel pain and that can be dangerous as there is no stopping her rage. The acting was full of passion and fuelled by anger, Alessandro De Marco and Ida Di Terlizzi who play the two siblings were a perfect match for these characters. Both actors worked well in reacting to each other’s pain and reflected this torn family dynamic seamlessly.

Amici Di Familiga portrays the demise of a family relationship. This is an emotional piece that emphasises the importance of looking out for those close to you and the consequences of bottling up secrets which can eventually tear you apart.