The Spiral (L'estranea)

On a dark and stormy night, Alice (Romana Maggiora Vergano) is surprised to answer the door to her estranged mother Anna (Jasmine Trinca) who has a sinister story to spin. Twenty years earlier, when their family seemed idyllic, a tragedy befell Alice; one whose consequences were circumvented by a bargain struck between Anna and an enigmatic stranger. But the pact came with a terrible price, and Anna found herself increasingly entangled with her Faustian benefactor. At first dismissing her mother’s confession as a desperate excuse to explain the erosion of their relationship, each tragic revelation brings Alice closer to uncovering the true and shocking reason for her mother’s visit.

Directed by Paolo Strippoli (“A Classic Horror Story” and “The Holy Boy”), the film stars Jasmine Trinca, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Adriano Giannini and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.

“The Spiral” premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival and has been selected as Italy’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.