The Cold Breeze of Summer
Date:
December 15, 2022
The Cold Breeze of Summer
The Cold Breeze of Summer
by Silvia Brunelli
Pilgrim | Italy
Live-action feature | 2nd feature
Logline
After the sudden death of young Sofia, born Paolo, two parents must take on the daunting task of choosing how to dress their daughter for her final farewell, facing hypocrisies and lies that will shake the very foundations of their relationship.
Synopsis
In the serene yet demanding world of their Italian farm, Anna and Adriano’s lives are shattered by devastating news: their daughter Sofia is dead. The journey to the city where she lived feels unreal, each kilometer deepening their grief and helplessness.
At Sofia’s apartment, they meet her mourning roommates, who share memories of a life her parents only partly knew, a mosaic of joy, resilience, and silent struggles faced alone.
As they prepare for Sofia’s funeral, Anna and Adriano confront a painful dilemma: how to honor her both as Sofia, the young woman she had become, and as Paolo, the son they once knew. This unspoken duality forces them to face unresolved feelings about her transition and to question whether they ever truly accepted her, or merely buried their doubts.
Amid their mourning, fractures in their marriage resurface. Anna, who stood closely by her daughter, must confront unspoken regrets, while Adriano, long struggling to understand Sofia’s transition, is torn between the daughter he loved and the son he remembers.
Back at the farm, surrounded by the unchanging rhythms of rural life, they find themselves both united and isolated in grief. Sofia’s absence lingers in every familiar space, leaving them bound by love, yet haunted by the awareness that much of her inner life remained beyond their reach, an enduring echo of both Paolo and Sofia.
Director’s Profile
Silvia Brunelli, born in Rome in 1988, made her directorial debut with La Santa Piccola, winner of the Biennale College Cinema 2019 and premiered at the 78th Venice Film Festival. The film was the only Italian title in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to screen worldwide in festivals and cinemas, with sales in Italy, Poland, the U.S., and France, and distribution on major platforms such as HBO Europe, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Sky, Chili, and Canal+.
Recognized by Eurimages as the Best Emerging European Director in 2020, she was featured in The Gold Album – Female Directors (2021), celebrating 20 years of women filmmakers supported by the fund.
After studying Law, she earned a scholarship at the New York Film Academy and worked with major Italian productions as assistant and second unit director. She is currently developing her second feature The cold breeze of summer (L’Abito), and directing second unit for a TV series produced by Rai Fiction.
Company Profile
Founded in 2008 in Trieste, Pilgrim is an independent production company devoted to developing and producing films and documentaries that showcase emerging talents and meaningful stories across cultures. Based in a region with a strong tradition of cross-border collaboration, Pilgrim has grown into a creative hub for European and international co-productions. The company focuses on author-driven projects that combine artistic vision and social relevance, often exploring themes of identity, migration, and human connection, building, over the years, a solid reputation for quality and storytelling that resonates worldwide.
Selected Filmography
• Easy (2017, IT/UA; 70th Locarno FF) dir. Andrea Magnani;
• Paradise (2019, IT/SI, Busan IFF, Torino FF, Best First Feature at the Italian Golden Globe) dir. Davide Del Degan;
• Jailbird (La Lunga Corsa) (2022, IT/UA, Tallinn Black Nights FF, Torino FF) dir. Andrea Magnani
• Peacock Lament (2022, LK/IT, 35th Tokyo IFF: winner of Best Artistic Contribution Award) dir. Sanjeewa Pushpakumara
• Yohanna (2024, IND/UK/IT, Rotterdam IFF (Big Screen), JAFF 2024: 5 awards) dir. Razka Robby Ertanto.
In Production
• Cold (BG/IT) dir. Ana Kitanova, supported by MEDIA, Bulgarian Film Center, Italian Minority Fund.
• Profetas (COL/IT) dir. Daniel Baldotto, supported by Ibermedia and Italian Regional Funds.