Winner of the Grand Prix at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival–One Week Only

Alice Rohrwacher (Corpo celeste) focuses her richly textured sophomore feature on a family of beekeepers living in stark isolation in central Italy. Led by their obstinate, German patriarch, Wolfgang (Sam Louwyck, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears), the dynamic of their overcrowded, overworked household is disrupted by the simultaneous arrival of a silently troubled teenage boy, Martin (Luis Huilca, in a touching, nearly wordless performance), and a production crew recruiting local residents to participate in a cheesy, reality TV celebration of ancient Etruscan culture presented by the mysterious host, Milly Catena (Monica Bellucci, Irreversible, Spectre). Both intrusions grab the attention of the eldest daughter, Gelsomina (brilliant newcomer Maria Alexandra Lungu), who is struggling to find her footing in the world. Stuck between managing her large family–Gelsomina is the real leader of the clan–and realizing she wants more from her life, Gelsomina’s adolescent senses of wonder and confusion are portrayed with graceful naturalism on screen. Shot using striking 16mm, Rohrwacher’s patient pacing and tendency to linger on certain images gives The Wonders an observational, documentary-like quality that accentuates the beauty and simplicity of this rapidly fading way of life.