Elisa, age thirty-five, has been in prison for ten years, convicted of killing her older sister and burning her body, and for no apparent reason. She claims to remember little or nothing of the crime; it’s as if she’s erected a wall of silence between herself and her past. But when she decides to meet with a criminologist, Alaoui, and take part in his research, during the tense, unrelenting dialogue between the two the memories take shape, Elisa painfully acknowledges her guilt in full and glimpses a possible first step towards redemption.
freely inspired by the essay
Io volevo ucciderla
(Raffaello Cortina Editore)
by Adolfo Ceretti and
Lorenzo Natali
screenplay
Leonardo Di Costanzo
Bruno Oliviero
Valia Santella
cinematography
Luca Bigazzi
editing
Carlotta Cristiani
production design
Luca Servino
costumes
Bettina Pontiggia
music
Giorgio Matteo Aki Oliviero
cast
Barbara Ronchi (Elisa)
Roschdy Zem (Alaoui)
Diego Ribon (Padre)
Valeria Golino (Laura)
Giorgio Montanini (Radice)
Hippolyte Girardot (Director)
Monica Codena (Mother)
Roberta Da Soller (Katia)
production
tempesta
with Rai Cinema
co-production
Amka Films Productions
producers
Carlo Cresto-Dina
Manuela Melissano
co-producers
Michela Pini
Amel Soudani
world sales
Rai Cinema International Distribution
fulvio.firrito@raicinema.it
www.raicinemainternationaldistribution.com
Italian distribution
01 Distribution
soniapisana.dichter@raicinema.it
www.01distribution.it
Leonardo Di Costanzo studied ethno-anthropology at the University of Naples and then, in 1992, moved to Paris, where he built a solid career as a documentary filmmaker, winning an array of awards at numerous international festivals. His first narrative feature, The Interval, premiered at Venice and received the David di Donatello for Best New Director and the FIPRESCI Award. His second narrative feature, L’intrusa, was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. He contributed L’avamposto to the anthology film Bridges of Sarajevo, presented as a Special Screening at Cannes. In 2021, his film The Inner Cage premiered out of competition at Venice, winning two David di Donatello awards and named Film of the Year by critics (SNCCI). His 2023 short film Welcome to Paradise also screened out of competition at the Venice Film Festival. This year, Elisa bowed in the competition lineup at Venice.
2025 Elisa
2023 Welcome to Paradise (short)
2021 Ariaferma
2017 L’intrusa
2014 L’avamposto
(episode of the collective film I ponti di Sarajevo)
2012 L’intervallo
2011 Cadenza d’inganno (doc)
2006 Odessa (doc, directed with Bruno Oliviero)
2003 A scuola (doc)
1999 Prove di stato (doc)
