Alex and Diana are two friends and classmates at the conservatory, whom one afternoon go back to Diana’s place in order to rehearse a piece for an upcoming performance. After arriving, Alex is surprised to notice that Hector, Diana’s boyfriend, is briefly staying over. The two start rehearsing, but Alex is visibly distracted, and even more so when Hector is around. Sexual tension is clearly evident, although Diana is so engrossed in her repetition that she does not see it. As the repetition goes on, the question arises whether Alex feels jealous of Hector because of his relationship with Diana, whom he secretly loves, or lust for Hector himself.

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The first thing that stands out in this short film is the way it is structured. It is basically built around a rehearsal, and thus evolves alongside two facets, weaving its way forward slowly but steadily. The first one is the backdrop of the rehearsal itself: Alex and Diana repeat the same piece’s intro over and over again. The second and more important one relates to Alex’s inner emotions that surface during the rehearsal. These are never explicitly addressed – which constitutes another charm of the film – but can be readily observed through his gestures, the way he sits, the way he glances over and the way he gets lost in his train of thought as messes up his singing part. It’s a film whose substance is built from very small and subtle details.

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And, while the plot is simple and straightforward, there is one final mechanism that is inserted right at the end, acting as a sort of audio plot twist. By revealing the translation of the Italian lyrics, and pushing the song further than merely its intro, context is provided for what the audience has just witnessed in visual form. It’s a neat gimmick, one that seamlessly blends into the context and doesn’t feel forced in any way. Instead, it elevates the meanings of the main themes explored here, whilst staying in line with the film’s musical nature.

 

'Fuggiro Tanto Amore' expertly builds a harmonious interlocking of the visual and the auditory senses and does not insult its audiences with overly explanatory dialogue and background information. Instead, it sets its scene and allows viewers the hand-pick the available details, and create their own narrative, by both delving into the potential past experiences of the characters, as well as jumping into their futures. All in all, this is a worthwhile project that has plenty to offer.