After the War

Bologna, 2002: While protests against labor market reforms rock the country, a judge is murdered—an event that reopens old political wounds between Italy and France. Marco, a former left-wing extremist activist who has been living in France for twenty years under the protection of the Mitterrand Doctrine, is suspected of ordering the attack. The Italian government demands his extradition. To escape imminent arrest, Marco flees with his 16-year-old daughter Viola – a decision that will change not only his life, but also that of his family in Italy forever. In her feature film debut AFTER THE WAR, Annarita Zambrano interweaves personal experiences with historical events. The story is inspired by real cases of former Italian terrorists who found refuge in France, including Paolo Persichetti. Zambrano, who grew up between Rome and Paris, reflects on guilt, responsibility, and the impact of political violence on family structures. The film premiered in the “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and received international acclaim for its nuanced portrayal of complex political issues.

Keywords

  • Arthouse
  • Creatives: Debut Films
  • Italian Movies
  • Sooner Exclusives
  • Sooner Exclusives: Stories that Matter
  • Storyline: Daughters
  • activism
  • europe
  • family
  • politics

Actors

  • Giuseppe Battiston
  • Charlotte Cétaire
  • Barbora Bobuľová
  • Fabrizio Ferracane
  • Orfeo Orlando

Director

  • Annarita Zambrano

Crime, Drama


1h 31min


16

IT


PT

SV

IT

DE

ES

EN

France
Italy
2017
One man's acts of political violence in 1970s Italy rebound on his family decades later.

One man's acts of political violence in 1970s Italy rebound on his family decades later.


Bologna, 2002: While protests against labor market reforms rock the country, a judge is murdered—an event that reopens old political wounds between Italy and France. Marco, a former left-wing extremist activist who has been living in France for twenty years under the protection of the Mitterrand Doctrine, is suspected of ordering the attack. The Italian government demands his extradition. To escape imminent arrest, Marco flees with his 16-year-old daughter Viola – a decision that will change not only his life, but also that of his family in Italy forever.


In her feature film debut AFTER THE WAR, Annarita Zambrano interweaves personal experiences with historical events. The story is inspired by real cases of former Italian terrorists who found refuge in France, including Paolo Persichetti. Zambrano, who grew up between Rome and Paris, reflects on guilt, responsibility, and the impact of political violence on family structures. The film premiered in the “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and received international acclaim for its nuanced portrayal of complex political issues.

Festivals

Cast & Crew