Sissy works so well because of the writing and relatable characters. It is a surprisingly emotional short film, that has us excited for the future work of writer and director Eitan Pitigliani.
Sissy, written and directed by Eitan Pitigliani, is a sad but surprisingly fulfilling film. Luca, after his mom’s death, is homeless and stuck at rock bottom but decides to return home to his dad for his birthday to see if something magical could happen.
This film was very surprising in its absurd concepts and weird storytelling methods but it really works in unexpected ways. Without giving away too much you can definitely see what the director meant when he said this was based on his own emotions and experiences after losing his own mother. This film is the perfect telling of loss and grief without overly-drawn out screaming sequences but rather a fast and deep cutting introduction and a slower middle to end that makes us truly empathize and understand the character.
Coming in at about 20 minutes this film had the task of not only making me care for the main character but also this relationship between him and his dad. This was easily my biggest worry going in but it truly delivered on making me not only care for the relationship but they did it so well that I almost teared up at the end. There isn’t much dialogue between the two but the acting alone conveys so much about their relationship and the outcome is so subtle but impactful.
Every little emotion and detail also felt captured here and yes, that is definitely due to well written and relatable characters, but the cinematography also immerses us into the feelings. There are 2 primary visual tones in this movie and again without giving away too much, they have so much emotion attached to them and on top of that, the score here is perfection. It is somber but hopeful all at the same time. Every technical aspect of this film just enhances everything before it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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About Sissy
The award-winning Writer/Director Eitan Pitigliani’s SISSY was inspired by his own personal story of losing his mother. This heart-wrenching tale shares the story of Luca (Vincenzo Vivenzio) and the young girl (Dea Lanzaro), played by a 7-year-old little girl, who was the one that saved the director’s life after his mother’s passing. SISSY is her debut screen role.
After his mother’s death, Luca finds he has hit rock bottom. Living on the streets among the homeless, to somehow feel closer to her, he finally decides to go back home for his father’s birthday where something magical just might happen.