Alba

A black screen. A bottle breaks on the bitumen. A few insults are flung. The decor of an industrial area, first thing in the morning, after a busy night. Three friends “find” a vehicle and climb in for a journey with no clear aim. Except for one of them, troubled by the guilt of having cheated on Alba, who is arriving the next evening. Someone told him about a cross, painted on a cliff over the Genevan countryside, which is supposed to reconcile those who reach it with their innermost selves. Beyond a mystic, post-drinking delirium, the strapping lad believes that the climb to the summit will help him find the courage to talk to his girlfriend. Accompanied by his two acolytes, who are not entirely convinced about the undertaking, but remain loyal, he sets off up the steep paths that lead to the “Santa Croce”. This romantic comedy, played out by amateur actors under the direction of Lucia Martinez and Hugo Radi, casts a tender and light vision over disoriented young adults who try to take their love lives—still a little longer—seriously. (Visions du Réel)