Film Screening: “Gioia Mia | Sweetheart”
07:30 PM, Fri 30 Oct 2026
National Cinema Centre
87 Lang Ha, O Cho Dua, Hanoi
From the organizer:
SWEETHEART | GIOIA MIA (K)
Year: 2025
Genre: Drama, Family
Director: Margherita Spampinato
Duration: 90 minutes
Content permitted for viewers under 13 years old, but only if they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (K)
“Sweetheart” (Gioia Mia), the debut feature by director Margherita Spampinato, is a coming-of-age story that is not new but is charming and endearing enough, like a quiet summer afternoon with a rainbow-tinged shower.
Nico reluctantly has to spend the summer with his great-aunt Gela (played by Aurora Quattrocchi), an elderly, devout woman who lives in an old apartment building in Sicily. With no Wi-Fi, a mandatory afternoon nap, old-fashioned rules, and food that doesn’t suit her taste, Gela’s world seems to be the complete opposite of the modern life Nico is used to.
One is sullen and stubborn; the other is conservative, strict, and fond of silence. But as Nico is gradually drawn into the mysterious spiritual world of the apartment building, the two, separated by generations, begin to find a connection through small everyday things, as well as through the losses and pain of their pasts.
At the 2025 Locarno Film Festival, “Sweetheart” won the CINÉ+ Special Jury Prize, while Aurora Quattrocchi received the Pardo for Best Performance. At the 2026 David di Donatello Awards, the film went on to win two more prizes: Best Debut Director and Best Actress
Note
– Free tickets will be available at: Casa Italia (18 Le Phung Hieu, Hanoi), daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, starting 20 October 2026 until tickets run out.
– Each audience member may register for a maximum of two tickets per film.
– If you have a ticket, please arrive at the cinema before 7:15 PM to settle into your seat.
– If you have not been able to register for a ticket but would still like to watch the film, you may arrive at the cinema before 7:20 PM and queue outside the entrance of Room 4, 2nd floor. After 7:25 PM, if seats are still available, the Organising Committee will accommodate audience members without tickets in the order they joined the queue.
– If you have a ticket but arrive after 7:25 PM, your seat might be allocated to others, and you may not be allowed to enter. Please arrive on time to avoid missing the screening.
About Italian Film Week in Vietnam 2026
The Embassy of Italy in Hanoi, in collaboration with the Asian Film Festival in Rome, is proud to present the Italian Film Week in Vietnam 2026. The film week will take place from October 27 to November 1, 2026 at the National Cinema Centre (87 Lang Ha, O Cho Dua, Hanoi), with screenings starting at 19:30 daily.
Each film is a precious gem demonstrating the stature, innovation, and humanistic depth of Italian cinema. 06 films, 06 journeys at Italian Film Week in Vietnam 2026 offer multifaceted perspectives on Italian society and its people, shaped by the concerns of our times.
Follow updates on event’s page.
