“The rare example of a film that actually manages to replicate the unique energy of being young.”

We often forget just how incredibly challenging it was to grow up, because adulthood tends to blur how truly complicated it was to navigate adolescence. It is one of the more daunting experiences we have to go through, since we’re stuck in that ambiguous space between being old enough to have certain responsibilities, but too young to fully understand the world into which we are being thrown, often without much warning. It helps to have a few people who guide us on this journey, which is where we find the protagonist of Ketticè, a film in which Giovanni Tortorici attempts to redefine adolescence through his own unique perspective. The film is set in Palermo and follows the daily life of Giulio, a teenage boy trying to make his way to early adulthood without causing too much trouble. This is difficult because he struggles to form emotional connections with any of the adults around him, since they all view him as nothing more than a slacker. He soon meets Ketty, a mysterious young woman who sweeps him off his feet, with an immediate spark forming between them as they accompany each other on their offbeat journey into the future. A film in which youth is presented as a hopelessly confusing but undeniably exciting time, Ketticè is a strong blend of tender drama and subversive comedy. It is tied together by a sense of quiet complexity which proves that there is a lot going on beneath the surface of this evocative foray into the mind of a young man who simply wants to feel like he is on the right path, without surrendering to the stifling conventions that every adult around him insists he should follow if he ever wants to be a functioning member of society.

The core foundation of Ketticè is identity, since the protagonist is at the age where he is expected to start defining himself, while not yet possessing the emotional maturity or wisdom to make such an enormous choice, leading to a disconnect between him and the older generation. The director was driven to capture the difficulty that comes with defining yourself while also simultaneously being influenced by your surroundings. This is the main point at which Giulio and the adults around him (as well as most of his peers) begin to deviate, forming the central tension that guides the film. The thematic thread that brings everything together is the idea of finding a companion (whether romantic or merely platonic – the character of Ketty intentionally occupies the vague space in between the two, even if it is clear that something much deeper is brewing between the characters). This search for even one person with whom you can be yourself, and build the confidence needed to survive, is a very important part of our formative years. Through all of this, Tortorici manages to create a vibrant depiction of youthful recklessness, especially the kind that exists for no deeper reason than being the product of young people gaining more access to the world. Both Giulio and Ketty want to express themselves and be free, and through their continuous efforts to rebel against the system in small but meaningful ways, they manage to liberate themselves. We tend to find the coming-of-age genre focuses more on the psychological aspect of growing up, whereas Ketticè is far more interested in the social aspect of the teenage years, making the film feel both familiar and unusual in different ways.

I’ve often found it peculiar how so many coming-of-age films adopt a meditative, methodical pace, since being a teenager is anything but slow and laborious and can often become a blur. Ketticè is the rare example of a film that explores characters moving into adulthood that actually manages to replicate the unique energy of being young. The director takes a slightly unconventional route through familiar territory, attempting to create a portrait of youth that is deliberately dynamic and far less polished than we usually see. Rapid-fire editing and intimate camera work are amongst its most distinctive stylistic features, since it is not enough to tell a story about youthful energy, and instead it goes to great lengths to actually reproduce this specific sensation, where each day collides into a blurry stream of formative experiences. The depiction of Giulio’s reckless and impulsive behaviour is reflected in the film’s very distinct rhythm, which can be initially disorienting until we become accustomed to the tempo, further aided by the combination of both tender drama and subtle humour, which ultimately prevents the film from becoming overly solemn about the challenges of growing up. It doesn’t expect a specific response from the audience, but rather offers something undefined, forcing us to bring our own interpretation to the core themes that drive the film. It is all held together by Tortorici’s clear intention to create an energetic and funny portrait of the restlessness of youth that is not merely a navel-gazing act of nostalgia filled with empty sentiments, but rather a vigorous testament to the challenges of moving into adulthood, with both the mood of the story and the overall execution of its ideas feeling quite notable.

Ketticè is a peculiar film by design, since it is built on the idea of exploring the challenges of adolescence, but rather than attempting to resolve them, it chooses to embrace these confusing elements, presenting them as objectively as possible. This can make its unique energy feel slightly impenetrable and puzzling, but once we understand that this is a film intended to act as an atmospheric glimpse into the mind of a young man trying to find himself by drowning out the noise of those around him, the aims become quite clear. Formed by embracing the kind of infectious youthful energy that is often overlooked in these stories, Ketticè captures the joyful carelessness of being young, through the story of two teenagers finding each other at a crucial moment in their lives when the divide between them and the adults around them grows much wider and more difficult to navigate. The film is beautifully crafted and is ultimately about these people and also their surroundings (Palermo becomes a character itself in how the director embraces the idyllic Sicilian location and its way of life), which gives it a strong identity. The film’s willingness to experiment with pace, tone and structure gives it depth and nuance, valuable qualities when working in a genre that is often weighed down by conventions. It all leads to a striking conclusion in which we may not be given the resolution we crave nor have the questions around identity answered – instead, it successfully replicates the disorienting and exciting journey of moving between adolescence and adulthood. It’s an intentionally jumbled but deeply moving account of youth, where the rough edges and unique style are all part of its appeal, providing a highly original foray into the pure confusion of growing up in a world that is often difficult to understand.