JULIEN COLONNA | FRANCE | 2024 | 108 MIN | FRENCH
Set amid the tumultuous violence of 1990s Corsica, The Kingdom looks at the world of organized crime through the eyes of 15-year-old Lesia (electric newcomer Ghjuvanna Benedetti). A sun-soaked summer awaits her, with languid days filled with friends and casual flirtation with local boys. After a violent act takes place, Lesia is whisked away from her home to a villa in a remote area of the island. There, her father Pierre-Paul (Saveriu Santucci, also in his first role) is living in hiding with his inner circle. Although Lesia is loosely aware of what her father does, the mounting war between rival syndicates begins to shed light on just how highly her father ranks within his faction. Refusing her father’s wishes to return home after violence continues to erupt, the ever-stoic Lesia begins to wonder how far she is willing to go to maintain her bond with her gangster father. Part mob film, part coming-of-age story, director and co-writer Julien Colonna crafts a stunning debut, a film that examines family—both real and created—at a time in Corsican history that was filled with turmoil and unrest.
Cast: Ghjuvanna Benedetti, Saveriu Santucci, Anthony Morganti, Andrea Cossu
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