2024 Victoria Film Festival – The Accident

Filmmaker expected to attend
Olio
Surprising + Unique + Absorbing
Giuseppe Garau
Italy | 2023 | 72 min

Marcella loses her job and custody of her daughter on the same day. In the
middle of a tenuous separation with her husband and barely able to balance
her parental duties, she finds herself alone as the one sincere person in an
uncaring city. Trying to get back on her feet, she pursues an odd new job before
discovering a mysterious device that miraculously allows her to weaponize
her kindness and to pay off her debts, if she chooses to use it…

Shot on film, director Giuseppe Garau’s debut feature shows a rare commitment
to the camera’s perspective. The Accident is partly a cinematic experiment,
challenging the desire to see more while surprising us with just how much
storytelling potential is held by its locked gaze. At the same time, its sardonic
humour and relatable lead (played by Giulia Mazzarino) makes it easy to
become invested in Marcella’s singular drive, where the film reveals itself as
a modern fable about the dark risks we’re willing to take to hold onto our
families. – AK