Beyond Exceptionalism
by Pierandera Villa
Overview
March 21, 2019
94′
Federico Bondi
Federico Bondi
Vivo Film, Rai Cinema, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Regione Toscana, Regione Lazio, and Unicoop Firenze
Piero Basso
Stefano Cravero
Saverio Lanza
Carolina Raspanti, Antonio Piovanelli, Stefania Casini, Gabriele Spinelli, Olga Durano, Orietta Notari, Francesca Rabbi, Ignacio Paurici, Betti Pedrazzi, Bruno Cariello, Robin Mugnaini, Silvano Carcaiso, Angela Magni
Luce Cinecittà
Gallery
Poster
Poster
Trailer
Pressbook
Representation strategies, rhetorics and stereotypes
Narrative & characters
Dafne is a 35-year-old woman with Down syndrome who has to face the sudden death of her mother, an event that will upset the family balance and lead her to remodel her relationship with her father. The film is successful in presenting Dafne as a fully-fledged protagonist, rejecting the rhetorical device whereby disabled characters are functional elements whose role is to highlight the moral qualities (whether positive or negative) of other characters. The protagonist is not shown as an isolated figure, but is immersed in a context of social relationships on multiple levels. Dafne experiences friendships and romantic relationships, has access to social media and is attracted to men her own age, she works and indulges in transgressions (i.e. smoking a cigarette with a colleague). These elements are incorporated into a narrative that rejects the rhetoric of exceptionality and superheroism associated with disability, but instead places these relational elements within linear everyday life. The only truly exceptional event for Dafne throughout the film is the death of her mother, which causes her excruciating pain, but once again, this does not stand her apart. Her grief and suffering are shared with the rest of her family, especially with her dad, who struggles even more to deal with his loss. Her relationship with him shows a reversal of the caregiving role, presenting Dafne as anything but passive, it is she who helps her dad cope with his grief and depression.
In line with this perspective, the film focuses on the protagonist’s independence on several occasions, thus eschewing a portrayal of Dafne as a weak character in need of protection. Rhetorical devices related to disability are also avoided, as the protagonist is perfectly integrated but not harmless: Dafne takes a stand against her father, teases him in moments of tenderness, and insults him in moments of anger. This narrative construction of the protagonist thus rejects any super-heroic interpretation of disability, as Dafne is not presented as an exceptional individual, she is not isolated, and she does not possess superior morality or the ability to reveal a hidden reality. This makes Dafne a film about a disabled character that is not merely a story of diversity: it tackles themes such as grief, community, suburban life, family relationships and depression. Nonetheless, the film is not without its rhetorical missteps, such as the nurse’s emotionally charged listening shot, Dafne’s speech about self-esteem, directed at the supermarket manager, and the didactic use of Nek’s song È da qui.As far as the setting is concerned, the suburban environment in which the story unfolds is essential in Dafne. In this context, the decision to portray only the entirely inclusive aspect of a suburban community that embraces the protagonist without judgment or bias is unique. The suburbs in Dafne are microcosms that also feature foreign characters such as the hairdresser’s manager and the housekeeper. Nevertheless, they remain in the background, highlighting a cinematic struggle to represent not only intersectionality but also the complexity of various diversity-related issues.
Stereotypes & strategies of inclusion
Parental Tragedy and the Other Side of Suburbia
As the film nears its conclusion, at the tail end of the hiking trip that brings Dafne and her father closer together, the two take a break at a shelter to have dinner and spend the night. During dinner, Dafne’s father engages in a conversation with the restaurant owner, giving rise to a particularly significant scene, as it is the only moment in the film when discrimination is mentioned.
The dialogue begins with the restaurant owner saying, ‘I thought these kids all had their tongues hanging out,’ to which the father replies, ‘Me too.’ This exchange is followed by the story of Dafne’s birth and the discovery of her syndrome, revealing the father’s doubts and his inadequacy to cope with the situation. The father recalls the anguish of those moments, embodied in the pressure he feels resulting from the question ‘are you happy?’. In a film in which the suburban community and Dafne’s surroundings are portrayed as completely inclusive and with no apparent discrimination, this brief dialogue opens a window onto an aspect of the story that has been deliberately overlooked by the film so far. This unilateral representation indeed precludes the protagonist from being a mere narrative device, thereby not confining her to the role of distinguishing between positive and negative characters – a common dynamic in much of Italian cinema that explores diversity. In the father’s recollection, a well-crafted dialogue unveils his initial denial of his daughter’s condition – “I didn’t go to the hospital for three days” –, followed by the dilemma over the possibility of giving her up for foster care, until he finally embraced Dafne after a confrontation with his wife. In this dialogue, the derogatory term “mongoloid”, used by the father, carries a particular weight. The father’s remark, “I couldn’t believe my daughter was a ‘mongoloid’, as they used to say,” employs an ableist insult that hints at a less welcoming and inclusive world for Dafne and, more broadly, for individuals with Down syndrome – a condition that is never explicitly mentioned in the film except through this derogatory term. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the disruptive effect of the slur is immediately mitigated by its relegation to the past, as an expression that was once used. By doing so, the film suggests, perhaps too optimistically, that the dynamics of exclusion and isolation associated with Dafne’s condition might also be confined solely to the past, along with the expression itself.
Conversations
The director describes the origin of the work, while the lead actress talks about her connection with Daphne’s character (Informatore TV, March 14, 2019).
Carolina Raspanti describes her experience on set, her relationship with the character and her future projects (Informatore TV, April 1, 2019).
In a joint interview, the lead actress and director discuss their work on set and the creative process behind the screenplay, which was inspired by Carolina’s real life. They also talk about their bond of friendship (Informatore TV, April 1, 2019).
Federico Bondi and Carolina Rapsanti present the film, recounting their first meeting, how the work came about and their efforts on set, focusing on Carolina’s experience (La Stampa, March 14, 2019).
“Dafne, interview with Federico Bondi: ‘It’s not a film about Down syndrome, but about the resources we have inside us’”. On Movieplayer, March 24, 2019. Chiara Nicoletti interviews Federico Bondi.
«I wouldn’t have been able to develop the screenplay on my own if I hadn’t met Carolina. Until then, I had known many people with Down syndrome, but none of them had struck me like she did».
“‘Dafne’, Federico Bondi’s award-winning film in Berlin, hits theatres”. In Intoscana, March 4, 2019. Interview with Federico Bondi by Elisabetta Vagaggini.
«In the film, little by little, you forget about Dafne’s differences and follow her story as that of a normal protagonist, whose relationship with her father is recounted. Dafne has such inner resources, gained from her work and friendships, that you would never expect.»
“Dafne: after Berlin, Bondi’s film arrives in Italy”. In Informatore, March 24, 2019. Interview with Carolina Raspanti by Sara Barbanera.
«Dafne is inside me: I take off Carolina’s clothes and enter her world, which is very different and very similar to mine. She is even more cheeky and explosive than I am, and I really enjoyed stepping into her shoes, being two people in one».
Business strategies and communication rhetorics
Strategies
The film was produced with the support of Mibact – Direzione Generale Cinema (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, General Department of Cinema) and the Lazio Region, through the National Fund for Cinema and Audiovisuals. The title also features the involvement of Unicoop Firenze and the patronage of the Italian Down Syndrome Association as well as Siblings – sorelle e fratelli di persone con disabilità. The film was made as part of the Sensi Contemporanei – Toscana per il Cinema programme.
As mentioned in the director’s notes inside the press kit and confirmed by the author himself in several interviews, Dafne was inspired by an image: an elderly father with a daughter with Down syndrome holding hands at a bus stop. Nonetheless, the author has mentioned several times that the film became possible only after meeting the lead actress, Carolina Raspanti, which then enabled him to write the screenplay. In this regard, it is interesting to note that some of the protagonist’s characteristics are directly drawn from Carolina Raspanti’s life, one among many being her job. Regarding the filming process, the collaboration between the protagonist and the author was unconventional. As the director explains, Carolina, “never read a page of the script; I used to tell her the scene before we started shooting, and she has an iron memory, so she only needed a couple of rehearsals to learn her lines. She was clearly free to improvise as she wished, and it was a matter of creating the conditions for her to react rather than follow the text” (Chiara Nicoletti, “Dafne, interview with Federico Bondi: ‘It’s not a film about Down syndrome, but about the resources we have inside us’” Movieplayer, March 24, 2019).
Communication rhetorics
Although this is not a debut film for the director, from a promotional point of view, it suffers from the same distribution limitations as though it were. No specific campaign was launched, and the film’s promotion relied mainly on targeted previews in cinemas and its presentation at the 69th Berlinale. However, the film’s theme allowed for a parallel distribution strategy that relied on associations and events dedicated to raising awareness about Down syndrome. Examples include collaboration with the AIPD (Italian Association for People with Down Syndrome) and the Siblings Onlus Committee. In this context, the film followed the Down Tour 2019, with screening evenings organized at each stage of the event, attended by both the director and the lead actor. Screening was also planned at the Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels on World Down Syndrome Day, preceded by a video message from the director. Finally, the theatrical release was scheduled to coincide with the World Down Syndrome Day (21st March).
Conversations
“Dafne: after Berlin, Bondi’s film comes to Italy”. In Informatore, March 19, 2019. Interview with Gregorio Paonessa by Sara Barbanera.
«We wanted to tell a story with a strong social message, linking emotional storytelling to an important issue such as disability. Just over two years have passed since the approval of the ‘Dopo di Noi’ Law, which introduced support for people with severe disabilities after the death of their relatives. The film speaks to the families of young people, with a message of hope about the path to independence and integration for people with disabilities»
Circulation and audience responses
Circulation patterns
Film circulation relies mainly on its massive presence at national and international festivals, where it achieved a string of decent successes. However, this is counterbalanced by limited theatrical distribution, with the film showing in only 23 cinemas over a period of six weeks. Furthermore, the film was not available for more than four days in each cinema, with the title appearing on the bill for only one day in most theatres. In terms of theatrical distribution, the film was screened on 12 occasions with the director and/or lead actress in attendance, and on one occasion, it was introduced by the Councillor for Equal Opportunities of the Emilia Romagna Region. In addition to traditional distribution channels, the film circulated in specific “thematic” contexts related to disability and its representation, such as the Down Tour 2019 and the screening event at the Italian Cultural Institute in Brussels on World Down Syndrome Day. With regard to television broadcasts (for which only partial data is available), Dafne aired on at least three occasions at 10:55 p.m. (Rai 5), 11:25 p.m. (Rai Premium) and 11:35 p.m. (Rai 3). As far as streaming platforms are concerned, the film currently has a solid international distribution, being present in 30 catalogues distributed across 26 European countries.
The disparity between the film’s presence and success at national and international festivals and its distribution in cinemas and on television highlights the gap between cultural events and the accessibility of films to the general public. This situation often disadvantages films that explore diversity, preventing them from reaching a broader audience and thereby limiting their cultural impact.
Festival
- Festival du Cinema Italien de Montelimar Panorama 2021
- Lucha y Siesta Panorama 2021
- Festival del Cinema Italiano di Osaka Panorama 2021
- Festival del Cinema Italiano di Tokyo Panorama 2021
- Italian Film Festival Cambogia Panorama 2020
- Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt Panorama 2020
- Cuore d’Italia Panorama 2020
- Festival Rai Cinema – Stai con Noi Panorama 2020
- La Rai con il Cinema Italiano Panorama 2020
- Cinema Italia Oggi Panorama 2020
- Festival del Cinema Citta’ di Spello Concorso 2020
- Italian Film Festival London – Cinema Made in Italy Panorama 2020
- Los Angeles, Italia, Film, Fashion and Art Festival Panorama 2020
- Univercine Cinema Italien Panorama 2020
- Voci di Donna in Citta’ Panorama 2020
- Cinema Diffuso Panorama 2020
- CINEMA ITALIA – Le Nuove Vie del Cinema Italiano Contemporaneo Panorama 2019
- Festival Presente Prossimo Cinema Italia 2019
- Il Cinema che Non si Vede Panorama 2019
- Mostra de Cinema Italià de Barcelona Llargmetratges 2019
- Sottodiciotto Film Festival & Campus Inediti e anteprime 2019
- Appuntamento con il Cinema Italiano a Istanbul Panorama 2019
- Braunschweig International Film Festival New International Cinema 2019
- Cape Town – Pretoria Italian Film Festival – Italian Film Focus in South Africa Panorama 2019
- European Film Festival Toronto Competition 2019
- Festival International du Film d’Arras Compétition Européenne 2019
- International Thessaloniki Film Festival Open Horizons 2019
- Istanbul’da Italyan Sinemasi Festivali Panorama 2019
- Italian Film Festival Cardiff Competition 2019
- Italian Movie Award – Festival Internazionale Del Cinema Italiano all’Estero Concorso Documentari 2019
- L’Italia Che Non Si Vede Panorama 2019
- MittelCinemaFest Panorama 2019
- MittelCinemaFest Bratislava Panorama 2019
- N.I.C.E. – New Italian Cinema Events Concorso 2019
- Panorama of the European Film Emerging Director 2019
- Scanorama European Film Forum Crossing Europe 2019
- Sevilla Festival de Cine Seleccion EFA 2019
- SIFF’s Cinema Italian Style Panorama 2019
- Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Panorama 2019
- Un Posto nel Mondo Panorama 2019
- Film Festival del Garda Concorso 2019
- La Febbre del Lunedi’ Sera Panorama 2019
- Lo Sguardo degli Altri Panorama 2019
- Monde – Festa del Cinema sui Cammini Rassegna “Luce Cinecittà” 2019
- Mostra de Valencia Sección Informativa 2019
- Regie Positive Panorama 2019
- Saison Culturelle Panorama 2019
- Valdarno Cinema Film Festival Concorso Lungometraggi 2019
- Fiumicino Film Festival Concorso Lungometraggi 2019
- Lavazza Italian Film Festival New Italian Cinema 2019
- Vancouver International Film Festival Focus on Italy 2019
- Bobbio Film Festival Concorso 2019
- Ischia Global Film & Music Fest Panorama 2019
- Jerusalem International Film Festival Panorama 2019
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Another View 2019
- Una Notte in Italia – Festival del Cinema di Tavolara Panorama 2019
- Accadde Domani. Nuovo Cinema Italiano Panorama 2019
- Arene di Marte Panorama 2019
- Bagnacavallo al Cinema Panorama 2019
- Cinema Castello dell’Imperatore Estate Panorama 2019
- Cinema Made in Italy Copenaghen Panorama 2019
- Dall’Arena allo Schermo Panorama 2019
- Del Racconto, il Film Concorso “I Quattrocento Colpi” 2019
- Festa do Cinema Italiano 8 ½ Brasile Panorama 2019
- Il Cinema dei Fiorentini Panorama 2019
- OPEN ROADS: New Italian Cinema Panorama 2019
- Premio L’Anello Debole – L’Altro Festival Panorama 2019
- Toscana Filmmakers Festival Evento Speciale 2019
- Cinema Made in Italy Stoccolma Panorama 2019
- Fare Cinema – Festival del Cinema Italiano Belgrado Panorama 2019
- Viareggio EuropaCinema Panorama 2019
- Moscow International Film Festival Eight and a Half 2019
- Avvicinamenti Panorama 2019
- BIF&ST – Bari International Film&Tv Festival Concorso Opere Prime e Seconde 2019
- Berlinale Panorama 2019
- CineDì Panorama 2019
- Cinema Diffuso Panorama 2019
- De Rome a Paris Panorama 2019
- Visioni d’Autore Panorama 2019
Awards received
2020, Festival del Cinema Citta’ di Spello (festival):
Premio del Pubblico Migliore Film Italiano
Premio Migliore Creatore di Suoni (Stefano Grosso)
2019, Festival International du Film d’Arras (festival):
Prix du Public
2019, Italian Film Festival Cardiff (festival):
Best Actress (Carolina Raspanti)
2019, Be Kind Award (concorso):
Premio “Fabrizio Frizzi” Cinema (Federico Bondi)
2019, Valdarno Cinema Film Festival (festival):
Premio Banca del Valdarno per i valori della cooperazione e della solidarietà
Premio del pubblico
Premio Miglior interpretazione femminile (Carolina Raspanti)
2019, Bobbio Film Festival (festival):
Premio Quotidiano “Libertà” (Antonio Piovanelli)
2019, Nastri d’Argento (concorso):
Premio Nastro d’Argento Speciale
2019, Toscana Filmmakers Festival (festival):
Premio Migliore Autore Toscano dell’Anno (Federico Bondi)
2019, Tulipani di Seta Nera (festival):
Premio Testimonial Sorriso Diverso (Carolina Raspanti)
Premio Testimonial Sorriso Diverso (Federico Bondi)
2019, Berlinale (festival):
FIPRESCI Award
Reception
Overall, the film received positive reviews from the press, which praised its authenticity and writing, noting that diversity is neither used as a pretext nor as the sole focus of the movie. Critics generally agree that the protagonist has her own complexity and is not reduced to her disability, aspects made possible by Carolina Raspanti’s performance, which the press praised for its contribution to the construction of the character. On the directing front, the long sequences that dialogue with the documentary genre gained recognition. Nevertheless, numerous reviews note that the character bears a striking resemblance to the lead actress, with the story often being carried by her performance. The audience response on dedicated forums is difficult to measure as it is numerically insignificant (no audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, just two reviews on IMDB and one on MyMovies), although the comments are all positive. In general, however, the film does not receive excellent ratings (6.4/10 on IMDB, no data on Rotten Tomatoes and 3.25/5 on MyMovies). The situation is different on Letterbox, where the film scores 3.4/5 based on 240 user reviews.
Italian and foreign press
Italian Press
Simone Porrovecchio, “Bondi is good at not turning disability into mere entertainment, maintaining a balance between drama and comedy without sentimentality. With an extraordinary lead actress,” Rivista del Cinematografo, March 14, 2019.
«The protagonist does not suffer her diversity but embraces it, dialogues with it, and lives her condition with balanced serenity. In a world that “forces” efficiency and the illusory overcoming of suffering, Carolina/Dafne reminds us to accept, within our limits, the condition given to each of us and to live it fully».
Emiliano Morreale, “Brave Daphne, a shoulder for her sad father”, La Repubblica, March 21, 2019.
«Bondi’s second film, presented in the Panorama section of the Berlinale (where it won the Fipresci award), is a small film made up of everyday events, which rides the risky line between comedy and drama, almost always managing to keep its distance from the mannerisms of arthouse cinema and bland shortcuts».
Simone Emiliani “#Berlinale69 – Dafne by Federico Bondi”, Sentieri Selvaggi, February 11, 2019.
«There does not seem to be a detachment between Carolina and Dafne. This is both a merit and a flaw. The film appears unbalanced precisely because the protagonist seems to impose certain dialogues (‘Running water relaxes me, you don’t’), talks about God and beauty, and lectures her father about wine and cigarettes. It is unclear where Carolina ends and Dafne begins. There are too many words in her mouth».
Giulia Bona, “Dafne”, Filmidee, March 28, 2019.
«There are endless ways to portray diversity, and Florentine director Federico Bondi prefers the dimension of ordinariness. Far from excess and extravagance, his gaze is attentive, free of prejudice, superstructures and rhetoric, capable of resting gently on the potential that surrounds everyday life».
Foreign Press
Scott Roxborough, “Berlin: Nadav Lapid’s ‘Synonymes’ and Frederico Bondi’s ‘Dafne’ Win Critics Honors” The Hollywood Reporter, February 15, 2019.
«Another star was born in Berlin with Carolina Raspanti’s effervescent performance in Dafne, playing a 35-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome who, after her mother’s sudden death, is left alone with her aging, depressive father (Antonio Piovanelli). But, determined to engage with the world, Dafne convinces her father to set off with her in a trek across the country to pay a visit to her mother’s grave. The film took the FIPRESCI honor for best film in Berlin’s Panorama sidebar».
Lee Marshall, “‘Dafne’ Berlin Review”, ScreenDaily, February 10, 2019.
«There’s an impression at times that the story has been too neatly stitched around its exuberant lead actress, Carolina Raspanti, whose irrepressible personality is as much of a beacon as her hair with its lustrous red highlights».
Redmond Bacon, “Dafne (2019) Review”, Cultured Vultures, February 15, 2019.
«The best thing about Dafne is how the titular character isn’t defined by her disability. For most of the film it’s just another fact of life, like having brown or blonde hair».