Martin Eden (Pietro Marcello, Italy, 2019, 129')
When unskilled laborer Martin Eden meets Elena, the daughter of a wealthy business family, it is love at first sight. The refined and cultured young woman soon becomes an obsession for Martin, who hopes that his dreams of becoming a writer will help him overcome his humble origins and allow him to marry Elena.
With great determination and overcoming great difficulties, Martin sets out to obtain the education that his social class has denied him. Martin finds support from an older friend, the left-wing intellectual Russ Brissenden, and soon becomes involved in socialist circles. This not only leads him to assume a political commitment and develop destructive attitudes, but also creates a conflict with Elena and her bourgeois environment.
Pietro Marcello's latest film won Best Actor in the Official Selection at the 76th Venice Film Festival and the Platform Award at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival.