Rome 1974. Sisters Alberta and Gabriella run the Canova studio, where their team of hard-working seamstresses assemble costumes for film and theatre productions. Despite being already stretched, Alberta takes on a new order from Oscar-winning costume designer Bianca Vega, whose visionary costumes for an upcoming film will push the studio to its limits. As the women work towards the upcoming deadline, they support each other both professionally and in their personal lives.
Inspired by his own experiences of visiting fashion houses around Rome at the beginning of his career, director Ferzan Özpetek has brought together an impressive ensemble cast of actresses to create this warm, lively melodrama, which is also a moving tribute to the majesty of cinema costume design.
Festivals:
NICE Italian Film Festival Ireland 2025
Seattle International Film Festival 2025
Awards:
Winner - Audience Award, Donatello Awards 2025
Winner - Film of the Year, Nastri d'Argento Awards 2025 (oldest film awards in Italy)
‘Lavishly designed and shot in a gorgeously fluid style, this Italian film by the gifted Ferzan Özpetek bristles with comedy and drama as it circles around women who craft movie costumes in a famed 1970s atelier in Rome. … this is pure cinematic joy …’
★★★★★ Shadows on the Wall
‘… there’s something about it that is irresistible, especially if you are in any way sympathetic to queer-accented celebrations of women played by powerhouse ensembles in the spirit of George Cukor’s The Women, François Ozon’s 8 Women, or Pedro Almodóvar films.’
★★★★ The Guardian
Date: Sun 27 Sep
Location: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
Date: Sat 1 Aug
Location: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
Date: Fri 24 Jul
Location: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
Date: Mon 27 Jul
Location: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray
