Written and directed by Donato Leoni, ‘Amistà’ is a 2021 drama short film that stars Donato Leoni, Marta Beccarini and Walther Gusai. 

Paul (played by Donato Leoni) and Beckie (played by Marta Beccarini) are best friends who decide to go on a road trip together. As they bond and become closer together on this transformational trip, are the duo just friends or is something else simmering beyond the horizon?

Amistà does not have any dialogue and thus, the film can be taken to have multiple meanings. One, Paul and Beckie are just good friends and they go on a trip just like all friends do. Perhaps they have been friends for a long time and know that romantic inclinations will only destroy the preciousness of their friendship. Or two, there is some romantic inclination between the two and they have become closer the longer they have been friends. While audiences may certainly take more to the second option, it is never made clear that such is the case. Beckie has a loving boyfriend at home and as she hugs Paul at the end of the trip, she follows it by brisking racing into her boyfriend’s arms. However, her boyfriend does not see her hugging her ‘friend’ who stops in his tracks just beyond her gate so the truth might be something else entirely. 

Not having any dialogue gives the director a unique form of freedom to explore the subtext of the script. With words not an option, the only remaining exposition comes from the actors’ expression. It is here that the acting prowess of the cast is at full display. Donato Leoni and Marta Beccarini are perfect and they manage to do the script justice. They play a couple stuck in ‘will they/won’t they’ without fail and manage to convince the audience that they might actually be in love. 

Visually, the film is beautiful. Mostly set in the countryside, the cinematography manages to capture the blooming friendship well. The lighting is on point and the way Leoni is able to meld visuals with emotions is what makes the whole thing work. For a short, the narrative pacing is on point. Leoni manages to pack so much stuff in the film’s short runtime without it feeling overburdened in the slightest. The result is a short that whizzes by in a flash and keeps you wanting more. 

Thus, Amistà is a tour de force in storytelling that works on multiple levels. The two actors seem so spontaneous in their performances that it is difficult to believe that they are not such close friends in real life. The dialogue-free story takes the audience on a roller coaster of emotions and features a heartfelt tale that will impress you in more ways than one. We give the film four stars out of five.