TIFF 2023 Review “An Endless Sunday”

An Endless Sunday Is A Visual Marvel That Tells The Story Of Life, Death And The Uncertainty That Lies In Between

From the mind of Italian writer, director and photographer Alain Parroni comes an incredibly grounded exploration of Italian youth that feels personal, down-to-earth and shockingly symbolic. Inarguably one of the most visually captivating films screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, An Endless Sunday is a bold story inspired by Parroni’s adolescence set in the infamous city of Rome.

Upon viewing, one can tell this film comes from the heart of a talented filmmaker who institutionally studied the craft. The cinematography and direction are crisp, practiced and work in a fluid unison. This film is more of an artist statement than a feature drama. An Endless Sunday is bravely human and addresses the deep fear that lies beneath the mundane. Who are we? How are we living? What are we meant to do? What comes next? What does it all mean? These are the existential questions that plague the minds of teenagers, and it would seem Parroni was no exception during his youth.

Watching An Endless Sunday is like flipping through a poetically aesthetic photo album. Every visual is mesmerizing and unique from the others. From fireworks blasting off the Italian shoreline in the middle of the night to the expansive blue sky speckled with swollen clouds, both somehow represent the answer to our earlier question: What comes next? The film takes a shocking turn in the third act once you’ve grown your attachments to each character. It exists to pose questions, not to provide answers… because in reality, we may never get the answers to these questions. The beauty of life is in not knowing what’ll come tomorrow, but daring to live it anyway.

An Endless Sunday premiers at The Toronto International Film Festival on Sept 11th at 11:30am at Scotiabank theatre 

[Review by guest blogger Jurgen Sosa]