Gioia Mia (Sweetheart) is a multi-award-winning Italian feature debut by director Margherita Spampinato that captures the humorous and moving collision between two completely different worlds. The film brings together Italian screen legend Aurora Quattrocchi, as the devout, set-in-her-ways aunt Gela, and her nephew, ten-year-old Nico, in an unforgettable performance. Beneath its gentle surface, Gioia Mia steps into an intimate space shaped by female memory, local ritual, and the quiet resistance of women living outside traditional societal norms. You’ll discover how a shared summer can dissolve generational divides, heal unspoken grief, and challenge gender roles, while revealing unexpected warmth in the quietest places. Film in Italian, with English subtitles. Open to all – no prior knowledge of Italian language or film required. Dir. Margherita Spampinato, 2025. Come for the film, stay for a lively post-screening discussion with the Italian Society at Leeds and Dr Simone Lomartire as we get a head start on pre-celebrations counting down to the landmark 90th anniversary of Italian at the University of Leeds in 2027! This is a Leeds City of Languages Festival event. Check the full programme at leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk

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