Full of Grace. A Madonna for a Day
FULL OF GRACE. A MADONNA FOR A DAY by Andree Lucini
Three 11-year-old girls from Palmi-Calabria, compete to portray the Madonna in the 500-year-old Varia festival, exploring tradition, identity, community through the citizens' voices and perspectives.

Festivals/Awards

  • World premiere at Rome Film Fest – Special Screenings section (Italy)
  • Award in Anthropology Category at 11th Cinemistica Granada 2025 (Spain)
  • Excellence Award at Religion Faith International Film Festival 2025 (USA)

 

Nicole, Giada, and Mariateresa, three 11-year-old girls from Palmi in Calabria, dream of portraying the Madonna during the Assumption festival, known as the Varia—a local tradition that has thrived for 500 years. In each edition, one girl is chosen to ascend a sacred 17-meter-high carriage, which is carried on the shoulders of participants in a grand procession.

 

Through their eyes, this documentary delves into themes such as physical appearance and the human desire to be seen. It also weaves in the voices of Palmi’s citizens, examining the event’s contradictions as it oscillates between poetry and kitsch, courage and recklessness, and the interplay of present and past.

 

 

 

 



Trailer

Cast and credits

Written by Andree Lucini, Désirée Manetti

Directed by Andree Lucini

Produced by Mompracem Film

Director of photography Claudio Cascavilla

Editing by Ginevra Iuorio

Music by Pivio and Aldo De Scalzi

With Mariateresa Leva; Nicole Melara; Giada Campitiello

Technical info

Year: 2024

Runtime: 64′

Country: Italy

 

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