A Whole Life Ahead

Colour, 35 mm
Italy, 2008, 117 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Marta has just finished a degree in philosophy, but like many other university graduates she can only dream about a job in her chosen field. For a while she earns money as a babysitter but the offer of a job at a call center for Multiple company, which supplies home water filtration systems, is more to her liking. She thus finds herself in an unknown world controlled by sophisticated methods of incentives, motivational text messages, morning workouts to get the adrenaline going, training in company slogans and catchphrases, lifting employee morale – as well as sophisticated punishments. Although they may seem flawless and cheerful, such jobs mercilessly push young people, mere contract workers, into rivalry and the fear of being fired. Paolo Virzì took inspiration for his grotesque and tragicomic movie from the book Il mondo deve sapere by Sardinian author Michela Murgia on the plight of young Italians who, after finishing university, must face the reality of odd jobs while fearing for the future.

About the director

Paolo Virzì (b. 1964, Livorno) first wrote screenplays for other directors, finally debuting in 1994 with Living It Up (La bella vita). Collective participation on Intolerance followed, and in 1996 he shot the film Ferie d’agosto. His talent for connecting comedy with social criticism found currency in Ovosodo (1997), named after a poor Livorno quarter where a story of growing pains unfolds; the film was awarded the Special Jury Prize at Venice. Other films: Kisses and Hugs (Baci e abbracci,1999), My Name is Tanino (2002), Caterina in the Big City (Caterina va in città, 2003), N – Napoleon and Me [N (Io e Napoleone), 2006], and A Whole Life Ahead (2008).