Dario Albertini’s ‘Armony’ lands Swiss deal before Locarno bow
Xenix will release the Italian family drama in Switzerland as the film heads for a Piazza Grande world premiere at Locarno.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Dario Albertini’s new family drama “Armony” has picked up Swiss distribution before taking its first big public bow at the Locarno Film Festival.
Xenix Filmdistribution has acquired the film for Switzerland, Variety reports. The movie is set to world premiere in Locarno’s Piazza Grande section, one of the festival’s highest-profile showcases.
True Colours is handling international sales on “Armony.” The film comes from The Apartment, the Fremantle-backed production company, alongside Damocle and Rai Cinema, in association with HBO Max.
The cast is led by Valerio Mastandrea, Asia Argento and newcomer Aurora Cherchi. Argento is also due to receive Locarno’s Life Achievement Award, according to Variety.
A truck driver, a child and a sudden family
Written by Albertini with Simone Ranucci, “Armony” centers on a 55-year-old truck driver played by Mastandrea. His quiet, isolated life changes after the disappearance of his sister leaves him responsible for his 6-year-old niece, Carlotta, played by Cherchi.
The story widens as Armony finds support from Pamela, an older transgender woman played by the late Pamela Schettino in her final screen role, and Jenny, a pregnant young neighbor played by Clara Tramontano.
Together, the characters form a makeshift household. The arrangement is put at risk when social services seek to remove Carlotta, pushing Armony into a fight for legal custody.
The ensemble also features Nando Paone, Elena Lietti, Francesca Antonelli and Ornella Muti.
Xenix bets on Piazza Grande buzz
Xenix’s Cyrille Thurston told Variety that the distributor was drawn to the film’s close look at its characters and its sense of truthfulness. Thurston also said the Locarno screening could help the movie build momentum in Switzerland, especially through audience recommendations after its Piazza Grande showing.
“Armony” marks the first time Xenix has distributed a film by Albertini. The company regularly brings Italian films to Swiss audiences, with Nanni Moretti’s upcoming “It Will Happen Tonight” among its slate, according to Variety.
Albertini says the story began close to home
Albertini told Variety that the idea for “Armony” grew from a real event involving someone close to him. He said the film looks at parenthood through a person who initially avoids it because of fear and a sense of not being enough.
The director also linked the drama to the pressures facing some communities in Italy, including difficulty finding work and decent housing, alongside personal and family struggles.
Albertini said the film was mostly shot in Fiumara, near Fiumicino, on the outskirts of Rome. He described the coastal area to Variety as a place that feels cut off from the present, a setting that helped underline Armony’s sense of being out of place.
He also told Variety that Mastandrea helped define a character he had been shaping for some time, bringing out quieter layers of Armony and making the performance feel natural within the story.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.