The Docile Body of Those Who Have No Voice
by Pierandrea Villa
Overview
June 6, 2019
95′
Laura Luchetti
Laura Luchetti
Picture Show, Donkadillo Films, Rai Cinema, con il contributo del Ministero della Cultura, della Regione Sardegna, con il supporto della Regione Lazio, Fondazione Sardegna Film Commission FOTOGRAFIA: Ferran Paredes Rubio
Ferran Paredes Rubio
Paola Freddi
Francesco Cerasi
Anastasiya Bogach, Kalill Kone, Aniello Arena, Mauro Addis, Fausto Verginelli, Alessandro Pani, Giorgio Colangeli
Fandango Distribuzione
Gallery
Poster
Trailer
Pressbook
Representation strategies, rhetorics and stereotypes
Narrative & characters
The film centers on the encounter between Anna, a young girl experiencing elective mutism who is fleeing from her father’s murderer, and Basim, an undocumented immigrant from the Ivory Coast who does not speak Italian.
The relationship between the two protagonists revolves around speech, or rather, its absence. Their inability to express themselves, each for different reasons, makes them fragile individuals, unable to defend themselves and assert their rights, whether inalienable or civil. Notably, Basim’s lines in French are not subtitled, immersing the viewer in an authentic experience of encountering otherness. When subtitles are enabled, a generic “speaking in French” is displayed on the screen. Regarding the portrayal of diversity, the film does not explore any of the many themes it introduces in depth. However, it avoids trivialising the concept of otherness as it does not reducing Anna and Basim’s marginalisation to vague and nonspecific distress. This applies both to the intersectional aspects of Anna’s situation and Basim’s challenges with integration, particularly in the employment market. Indeed, beyond being marginalised by her psychological condition, Anna also becomes the target of men’s leering glances, unwanted attention, and predatory actions. This aspect emerges not only from the scene in which she is verbally and physically harassed by two strangers, but also from the morbid attention that her father’s murderer reserves for her even before committing the crime. As for Basim, his status as an illegal immigrant prevents him from benefiting from the help and protection of the florist, who, fearing legal repercussions, will only offer Anna a job. This leads Basim to resort to illegal means, such as prostitution, in order to survive in his new environment.
This same attention to the specificity of marginalisation and its consequences in terms of danger also applies to Stella, a transsexual prostitute who plays a marginal role in the story. In one of her rare appearances, Stella becomes the target of a brutal assault. This character is the most problematic in the film, not because of her portrayal but because of her marginal role in the storyline. Very few scenes are devoted to her, and she is always portrayed as a victim with no exploration of her subjectivity. This suggests a tokenistic strategy based on the inclusion of this character for the sake of “completeness”: a purely formal approach that reduces diversity to a checklist, failing to consider it from a perspective where the character possesses the depth and autonomy to sustain and independently develop their own narrative arcs. (M. Beltrán, “Meaningful Diversity: Exploring Questions of Equitable Representations on Diverse Ensemble Cast Shows”, Flow, 12:7, 2016). Overall, beyond the plot’s weaknesses – particularly the segment focusing on Anna and Manfredi’s relationship – the film lacks nuance. Twin Flower presents a world where those who live righteously are either victims of abuse, or they have managed to redeem themselves are portrayed as ethically immaculate. On the other hand, the negative characters are monsters without a trace of humanity. This clear-cut distinction is perfectly illustrated in the dialogue between Manfredi and the florist, which collapses into a dualistic clash between ‘good’ and ‘evil’, reinforced by constant metaphorical allusions to the protection of vulnerable individuals. The only partial exception to this dynamic is Anna’s father, who is forced to participate in human trafficking to pay off debts to Manfredi. In this sense, the overly naïve and trivial metaphor of the zebra, which embodies the coexistence of black and white (the stripes on its coat), seems to perfectly reflect the dualism of the world depicted in the film.
Stereotypes & strategies of inclusion
The Ambiguity of Hospitality
Inside a narrative framework where good and evil are dualistically separated by an absolutist principle, the scenes focusing on the interaction between Basim and the security guard hold particular significance. The escalation of their relationship across the three sequences in which they engage provides a specific interpretation of the relationship between the country – and by extension, its citizens – who embrace the Other, and the inherent fragility of the latter as a subject. During their first encounter, Basim is aggressively chased away by the security guard while asking supermarket customers for money in exchange for carrying their groceries to their cars. Shortly afterwards, just outside the supermarket car park, the security guard offers Basim food and water. This gesture of solidarity remains unresolved until the two characters are displayed together again. On this occasion, however, the guard takes advantage of the migrant’s vulnerability, when Basim, unable to secure a job at the florist’s, is driven into prostitution. During their third encounter, Basim refuses the guard’s money, and when he is rejected, the guard violently attacks him from behind.Together, these three scenes suggest the controversial and ambiguous connotations that can underlie the relationship between Western society and migrants. This type of relationship is often built on a readiness to offer essential assistance, yet it fails to embody higher and more intricate ethical values. The guard first chases Basim away, then provides him with assistance, before subsequently exploiting his marginalised situation. This dynamic is representative of a civil society that is willing to provide humanitarian aid and charity but has no qualms about paying for sexual services, forgetting the distress of those who offer them. During the interaction between Basim and the guard, Basim’s body gradually becomes more docile, in Foucauldian terms. Indeed, through this dynamic, the scene suggests that within the power relations it engages, the body of the Other is trained to be useful, obedient, and controllable (Foucault, M. Discipline and Punish. The Birth of the Prison Einaudi. 1976). Furthermore, the body of the Other, represented in this case by Basim, becomes a commodity following a process of fetishisation of the racialised body, which inevitably leads to its hypersexualisation. (Akeia A. F. Benard, “Colonizing Black Female Bodies Within Patriarchal Capitalism: Feminist and Human Rights Perspectives”, Sexualization, Media & Society: Vol. 2, No. 4, 2016; Caren M. Holmes, “The Colonial Roots of the Racial Fetishization of Black Women”, Black & Gold: Vol. 2, 2016).
Conversations
The director introduces and describes the two protagonists (ComingSoon, 2019).
The director introduces the film, focusing on the ideas behind the screenplay. The two lead actors describe their experiences on set and their relationship with the characters (La Stampa, May 30, 2019).
The director focuses on the theme of immigration and its significance in today’s social landscape (La Stampa, June 5, 2019).
The director introduces her film at the Ischia Film Festival, focusing on the relationship between the two protagonists (July 2, 2019).
“Interview with Laura Luchetti. ‘Fiore Gemello’ and unity in a divisive world”. In The Italian Reve, October 30, 2018. Interview with Laura Luchetti by Eleonora Pilastro.
«I chose this setting and these characters because this is the most intense thing happening in Italy right now, it’s what our country is going through at the moment».
“Fiore Gemello” by Laura Luchetti, the story of a love on the run at Open Roads. In La voce di New York, June 7, 2019. Interview with Laura Luchetti by Floriana Frigenti.
«The silent world we have captured is not a stylistic whim but serves to dignify the silent things that swarm beneath our feet and we do not see. The voiceless, like my characters, like Anna and Basim».
“‘Twin Flower’: A Strikingly Sad Portrayal of Innocence by Laura Luchetti”. In La Voce di New York, June 7, 2019. Interview by Bianca Waechter with Laura Luchetti.
«Less is more. Simplicity is difficult to achieve. We had to take out a lot. It was their first time as actors and my first time directing non-actors. It was based on trust. They trusted me a lot. We worked a lot. It was not easy».
“Fiore gemello: interview with the film’s director Laura Luchetti”. In Taxi Drivers, June 5, 2019. Interview by Carlo Cerofolini with Laura Luchetti.
«I always say that Fiore gemello is not a film about immigration but a story whose protagonist is an immigrant, which is something very different».
Business strategies and communication rhetorics
Strategies
The film was produced with the financial support of MiBACT – Direzione generale Cinema, and Regione Lazio, through the national fund for cinema and audiovisual media. The production also benefited from the contribution of the Department of Education, Cultural Heritage, Information, Entertainment and Sport of Regione Sardegna, as well as the Sardegna Film Commission foundation through the Filming Cagliari fund of the Department of Economic and Tourism Development. It likewise gained the support of Cinefodnation L’Atelier, linked to the Cannes Film Festival
Director Laura Luchetti has explained that the film’s concept originated from two distinct sources, which ultimately shaped the main characters. The first was the story of a woman who had fled a violent background, inspiring Anna’s character. The second source was literature on migration in Italy, which provided the background for Basim’s character. The film took five years to complete, from the idea to the completed product. During this time, the director worked simultaneously on other projects, such as the short film Sugarlove. For Basim’s role, Laura Luchetti chose to work with a non-professional actor who came from an immigrant background in order to achieve a more authentic character. For this reason, the director auditioned young immigrants who had recently arrived in Italy, and eventually chose Kallil Kone. The actor, for his part, has stated on several occasions that he feels very close to the character and that he has retraced his own personal history through his role in the film. The role of Anna was also given to a foreign actress, making her acting debut: Ukrainian Anastasiya Bogach. For the director, the actors’ status as foreigners made them particularly well suited for the film, as “they have survived both a significant emotional journey and a geographical one. This experience makes them somewhat wild and instinctive; they immediately understand because they had to fight to get where they are” (‘Interview with Laura Luchetti. “Fiore gemello” and unity in a world that divides’, The Italian Reve, October 30, 2018). Furthermore, the choice of location – the Sardinian countryside – was crucial to the film, as the director sought a series of arid and rugged landscapes that could protect and conceal the protagonists during their escape.
Communication rhetorics
There is no specific communication strategy accompanying Twin Flower. The film’s promotion was mostly based on its success at national and international festivals – particularly at the Toronto Film Festival, where it received an honourable mention from the FIPRESCI Discovery Award jury – as well as on the widespread dissemination of reviews and interviews. The communication strategy primarily revolves around highlighting the film’s central themes: immigration, escaping a violent environment, and the antipodal encounter between the daughter of a human trafficker and an immigrant. Nevertheless, the director has repeatedly emphasised that she did not intend to make a film about immigration, but rather to tell the story of two teenagers on the run, one of whom is an immigrant. In announcing the film’s release and reporting on its critical success at festivals, many publications have also pointed out that the director was the only woman in competition at the Toronto Film Festival, thus drawing attention to gender inequality issues within the film industry as part of the film’s dissemination. In addition, part of the communication strategy drew on the director’s reputation and the festival success of her previous feature film, Hay Fever, and the stop-motion short film, Bagni.
Circulation and audience responses
Circulation patterns
The film was distributed in Italy by Fandango and internationally by Film Movement (Canada), Beijing Hualu Newmedia (China), Film Movement (United States), and Morandini Film Distribution (Switzerland). The global distribution rights for reproduction on air transport are held by Skyline IFE.
The film is a prime example of how critical acclaim at both national and international festivals does not always translate into a widespread theatrical distribution. As a result, most of the film’s circulation took place within cultural events. These include thematic festivals on immigration, such as the London Migration Film Festival and the African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival, where the film achieved recognition and success due to the authenticity brought by actor Kallil Kone’s performance. As far as the secondary market is concerned (though the data on this is partial), the situation is comparable to that of theatrical releases: the film was broadcast only once on Rai 5 at 10:15 p.m. and once on Rai 3 at 11:45 p.m. As in numerous situations where a production is neither targeted at the general public, nor expected to achieve straightforward commercial success, the challenge of securing distribution through primary and secondary official channels compromises the work’s potential to reach a wide audience.
As far as streaming platforms are concerned, despite its international success, the film is not available in any European online catalogue beyond Italy.
Festival
2023
Migrant Stories in Italian Cinema Panorama.
2022
Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt Theme, Orizzonti Hub Italia-Cuba Panorama, Femminile – Plurale Panorama.
2021
Quinzaine du Cinema Italien a Chambery Panorama 2021
2020
Italian Film Festival Cambogia Panorama, Magic International Film and Television Festival for Young People Panorama, Festival della Resilienza Lungometraggi Made in Sardegna, Italian Stories – Rassegna Cinematografica Sotto le Stelle Panorama, Giffoni Film Festival Masterclass Cult, BCT – Festival Nazionale del Cinema e della Televisione di Benevento Concorso “Sentieri”, Festival Rai Cinema – Stai con Noi Panorama, Bolzano Film Festival Bozen Concorso Lungometraggi, Moviemov – Italian Film Festival Manila Panorama, Festival del Cinema Citta’ di Spello Concorso, Cinema al Femminile tra Italia e Francia Panorama, Italian Minneapolis/St. Paul Film Festival Panorama, Mc Call Film Society Panorama, Piccolo Festival Tirreno Panorama, Visioni Made in Sardegna Panorama.
2019
Calgary European Film Festival Competition, Festival del Cinema Europeo di Lecce Evento Speciale Anteprima, FrauenWelten Competition Feature Film, Italian Film Festival Cardiff Competition, Le Giornate del Cinema del Mediterraneo Panorama, Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival Charleston Panorama, Rencontres du Cinema Italien de Grenoble et en Isere Compétition, Sevilla Festival de Cine Seleccion EFA, St. Louis International Film Festival International Spotlight, Un Posto nel Mondo Panorama, Cinealma – Festival Transmediterranee Panorama, Cineforum Teatro San Marco Trento Panorama, Fano International Film Festival Concorso, Festival Avanti! Film Italien Contemporain Ciné-Decouverte, I Martedi del Cinema Sociale – Nuovo Mascherino Circolo del Cinema Panorama, La Febbre del Lunedi’ Sera Panorama, Lucas Internationales Kinder und Jugendfilmfestival Competition, Avellino Summer Fest – Night Movie Fest Panorama, Boston Women’s Film Festival Panorama, Capua Film Fest Panorama, Creuza de Ma’ – Musica per Film Panorama, Fiumicino Film Festival Concorso Lungometraggi, Lavazza Italian Film Festival New Italian Cinema, San Lorenzo in Cinema con Sapienza Panorama, Tirana International Film Festival Competition Feature, Clorofilla Film Festival Panorama, Festival del Cinema di Posada Panorama, Andaras Traveling Film Festival Panorama, Bookolica – Il Festival dei Lettori Creativi Panorama, Cinema delle Terre del Mare Night on Earth, Cinemacotral Panorama, Ischia Film Festival Concorso Internazionale, ShorTS International Film Festival – Maremetraggio Nuove Impronte, Stand Up Lab – Nessun Approdo Panorama, Cinema d’Autrice Panorama, Cinema Made in Italy Copenaghen Panorama, E state in Sala! Panorama, Estate d’Autore. Prime Visioni al Cinema Panorama, Figari Film Fest – Olbia Film Network Panorama, Manarat – Festival du Cinema Mediterrannen de Tunisie World Contemporary Cinema, OPEN ROADS: New Italian Cinema Panorama, Valletta Film Festival (VFF) Islanders, Fare Cinema Barcellona Panorama, Seattle International Film Festival Official Competition, Settimana del Cinema Italiano Dublino Panorama, Visions Sociales Film d’Overture, Wag Film Festival School of Wag – Fuori Concorso, Mediterrante Panorama, Viaggio in Italia Panorama, Alice e il suo Panorama a Rieti, Latina e Civitavecchia Panorama, BUFF – The International Children and Young People’s Film Festival in Malmo Feature Film, Festival di Cinema Africano d’Asia e d’America Latina – FESCAAAL Film d’Apertura, Festival du Cinema Contemporain Italien de Tours – Viva il Cinema Compétition, Festival International du Film de Mons Migration, FrauenFilmTage Panorama, Italiensk Film Festival – Cinema Made in Italy Panorama, Movies That Matter Festival Fictie, Univercine Cinema Italien Competition, Visioni d’Autore Panorama.
2018
Festival de Cinema Europeen de Les Arcs Youth Screenings, Ventana Sur European Film, Fare Cinema Lussemburgo – Settimana del Cinema Italiano Panorama, Festival de Cine Italiano de Madrid Concorso Lungometraggi, London Migration Film Festival Closing NIght Film, MittelCinemaFest Panorama, MittelCinemaFest Bratislava Panorama, MittelCinemaFest Praga Panorama, Stockholm International Film Festival Discovery, Umea European Film Festival Competition, Alice nella Citta’ Concorso, Busan International Film Festival Flash Forward Out of Competition, CINEMED – Festival Cinema Mediterraneen Montpellier Compétition Longs Métrages, Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt Competition, The Times BFI London Film Festival Journey, Toronto International Film Festival Discovery.
2015
Festival International du Film de Cannes Atelier du Cinefondation.
Awards
2020 apr, Moviemov – Italian Film Festival Manila (festival):
Best Film
2020 mar, Festival del Cinema Citta’ di Spello (festival):
Premio “Ermanno Olmi” (Laura Luchetti)
Premio Migliore Montaggio (Paola Freddi)
Premio Migliori Musiche (Francesco Cerasi)
2019, Italian Film Festival Cardiff (festival):
Best Actor (Kallil Kone)
2019, Cinealma – Festival Transmediterranee (festival):
Grand Prix
2019, Fano International Film Festival (festival):
Premio Ciak Migliore Film
Premio Migliore Lungometraggio
2019, Lucas Internationales Kinder und Jugendfilmfestival (festival):
Special Mention
2019, Fiumicino Film Festival (festival):
Premio Migliore Interpretazione (Anastasyia Bogach)
Premio Migliore Interpretazione (Kallil Kone)
2019, Italian Black Movie Awards (concorso):
Premio Migliore Attore (Kallil Kone)
Premio Migliore Film
2019, Figari Film Fest – Olbia Film Network (festival):
Premio Opere Prime e Seconde (Laura Luchetti)
2018, Festival de Cine Italiano de Madrid (festival):
Premio Migliore Lungometraggio
2018, CINEMED – Festival Cinema Mediterraneen Montpellier (festival):
Prix Antigone d’Or de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole Longs Métrages
2018, Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt (festival):
Prix Amilcar du Jury Jeune
2018, Toronto International Film Festival (festival):
Honourable Mention FIPRESCI
Reception
Thanks to its success at international festivals, the film has attracted considerable attention from critics. It has been widely praised for its authenticity, which is attributed to the casting of actors with personal experiences related to the themes explored, as well as Laura Luchetti’s directorial approach. Critics also agree on a positive perception of the film’s social commitment, as it sensitively addresses issues such as illegal immigration, teenage trauma, and love in marginalised situations, ultimately conveying a hopeful message. Finally, many reviews respond positively to the narrative use of the landscape, which acts as the third protagonist of the film. On the other hand, the film has faced criticism for its uncertain narrative structure, which oscillates between excessive linearity and interruptions due to Anna’s flashbacks. This aspect, along with some uncertainty from the two nonprofessional actors, is said to negatively affect the film’s rhythm. As far as the audience is concerned, the film has received generally positive reviews. On IMDb, Twin Flower scores 6.7 /10 and 3.5 /5 on MyMovies, while on Letterbox the film scores 3.3/5.
Italian and foreign press
Italian Press
Beatrice Fiorentino, “Two ‘twin flowers’ from a dark fairy tale, Il Manifesto, June 13, 2019.
«While remaining politically grounded in reality, the director soon abandons pure naturalism, charting an original course that enables her to proceed abstractly, almost by signs and milestones, relying on the senses».
Marco Consoli, “Twin Flower and Lost Innocence”, L’Espresso, September 12, 2018.
«The film employs the theme of migration as a brutal backdrop to weave a tale of lost innocence, finding its charm in the performances of Anastasia Bogach and Kalill Kone. These two young actors, making their debut, infuse their characters with authenticity and freshness. Their portrayal is enhanced by subtle direction that allows for the exploration of their bodies and nascent emotions, as well as the relationships they form with the beautiful yet hostile environment around them and the adult world, which is sometimes perilous but also inviting».
Filippo Tentori, “Fiore Gemello”, Filmidee, July 30, 2019.
«The Sardinia that serves as the background for the story of Anna and Basim unfolds in a sadly recognisable social setting, a universe that regurgitates violence, homophobia, racism, human trafficking and sexual exploitation».
Giampiero Reganelli, “Sulla strada in Sardegna” (On the road in Sardinia), Quinlan, December 12, 2018.
«Fiore gemello remains a good directorial effort, a beautiful project by Laura Luchetti, anchored in the social issue, a theme that is commendably raised and effectively weaves the narrative threads together. However, some rough edges and naivety must be noted. In addition to those already mentioned, we recall the zebra that appears at the end, symbolising the coexistence of white and black people».
Anna Catalano, “Fiore gemello, review: a love poem with a bitter taste”, Spettacolo.eu, June 8, 2019.
«Without attempting to inject the film with political commentary, Luchetti manages to give it a glimpse of real life, recounting the adventures of an ordinary immigrant who has fled his homeland in search of peace elsewhere».
Foreign Press
Bianca Waechter, “‘Twin Flower’: A Strikingly Sad Portrayal of Innocence by Laura Luchetti”, La voce di New York, June 7, 2019.
«Laura Luchetti shows what independent filmmaking is supposed to be with her movie Twin Flower. Simple. Real. Raw».