Meine Tochter - Figlia Mia (Daughter of Mine, Figlia Mia)
Italy/Germany/Switzerland 2018

Opening 31 May 2018

Directed by: Laura Bispuri
Writing credits: Francesca Manieri, Laura Bispuri
Principal actors: Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu, Udo Kier, Michele Carboni

It is a hot Sardinian summer and Tina (Valeria Golino) and her daughter Vittoria (Sara Casa) decide to visit a rodeo. It is wild and dirty but the horses are beautiful which draws Vittoria away from her mother. It is clear that in Italy family is everything and the most important position is that of the mother. So when Vittoria accidently runs into a woman (Alba Rohrwacher) having wild sex with some cowboy among the horses, she is at first shocked. Later, she sees her again with her mother and becomes aware that this provokes some unknown feeling in her. It soon becomes clear that these two women share a secret, as they both realize that they want or need Vittoria.

The film builds up with an overwhelming emotion and this emotional state is exemplified through the landscape. Sara Casa really makes this film. She is the mysterious girl who is searching for her soul and has found herself with two women who love her. The harsh Sardinian coast blends perfectly with the light-skinned mother and daughter as though they are a part of the rock itself. It is a highly emotional film which will appeal to women who could perhaps understand the difficulty that such a situation would create. It is beautiful but disturbing. This film played in the competition category at the Berlinale and it might have won if they had gone a little deeper in the script. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)