Director Laura Samani, who made a powerful feature debut with the multi-award winning Small Body (2021), returns with her new work A Year of School. Set in a high school in Trieste, Italy, this highly accomplished teen movie delicately unveils the story of a Swedish girl spending a school year in an unfamiliar land. In a class full of boys, Fred becomes the only girl. As she grows closer to three boys in particular, they begin to explore the bars and party scenes in the city together. Through their relationship with Fred, the boys gradually let go of their macho attitudes and start to express their sensitivity and genuine emotions. One sets out in search of their own path, while another confronts and overcomes the scars of childhood. However, the friendship that once seemed unbreakable begins to crack when feelings develop between Fred and Antero. What director Laura Samani captures so brilliantly is the very essence of youth—their energy and their capacity for change. Newcomer Stella Wendick, who plays Fred, brings a bright and positive energy to the film, adding a pop-song-like rhythm to its tone. Her radiant presence lights up the screen like the sun.
