La guerra del Tiburtino III

It's a normal evening in the Italian neighbourhood of Tiburtino III, until alien body snatchers try to conquer the world by entering in through peoples’ noses! But in the darkest hour, not everything is lost: a bartender, a fashionista influencer and a small-time dealer will unite and with help of a very special weapon, will do their very best to fight back against the hideous creatures. In this enchanting sci-fi comedy, filmmaker Luna Gualano conducts an orchestra of characters that embody the essence of the Italian capital. Witty, funny and subtly political, the film sidesteps the classic tropes of sci-fi to narrate a gloomy invasion of aliens that define themselves as a superior race. But the real hero here is Tiburtino III, far from La Grande Bellezza of Rome, this anonymous community shows resilience and cohesion throughout – strong statements in present day Italian society. Timely in its account of a resilient community driven by strong women, La guerra del Tiburtino III is a perfect expression of a genre that is rarely seen in contemporary Italian cinema. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)