A Year of School (Italian: Un anno di scuola) is a 2025 coming-of-age drama film directed by Laura Samani, co-written by Samani and Elisa Dondi, and loosely based on the 1929 novellaOne Year of School by Giani Stuparich.[1][2][3] Set in 2007 Trieste, updated from the novella's 1909, the plot follows a Swedish girl who enrolls in an Italian high school and befriends three of her all-male classmates.[1][2][3] It draws from Samani's personal experience growing up in Trieste, as well as having read Stuparich's novella while studying at the liceo classico where it is set.[2] It stars newcomers Stella Wendick, Giacomo Covi, Pietro Giustolisi and Samuel Volturno.[1][2][3]
In September 2007, Fredrika, a 17-year-old Swedish girl freshly arrived in Italy after her father is relocated because of his hatchet man company job, is enrolled in an all-male senior year class of an istituto tecnico tecnologico in Trieste. There, she quickly becomes the center of attention, especially for three classmates: sensitive and poetry-reading Antero; the popular yet bereaved ladies' man Pasini; the amiable, father-bear figure Mitis. Despite officially welcoming her as "one of the lads", each of them secretly desires a romantic relationship with the bright and fun-loving 'Fred', putting their long-standing friendship to the test. Yearning to be truly accepted into the group, she will be asked to sacrifice more and more.
Laura Samani first read the novella as student of the Liceo ginnasio statale Dante Alighieri[it] in Trieste, where fellow alumn and Triestine Giani Stuparich had set many of his works, including One Year of School (1929).[2] Samani was also drawn to the story by what she saw as an autobiographical element, having been the only girl in her class to be accepted into an all-male friend group in high school, and having experienced "some weird oppressions" as a result: "of course that was a privilege, but [...] there was sexual tension, as one would expect, between guys and girls. In order to be with them and not to be the girl whose ass is commented [upon], I had to man up [...] shifting my wardrobe towards theirs. I wasn't wearing skirts anymore, for example. I was trying, literally, to fit in".[2]
Giacomo Covi, Pietro Giustolisi and Samuel Volturno were discovered by Samani and acting coach Alejandro Bonn while scouting university parties and "bars and cafes and pubs attended by young adults" in Trieste.[2] Stella Wendick, a film school student, answered a casting call for the film in Stockholm: Samani chose her right away because of her maturity.[2] Wendwick had to learn Italian for the part.[2]Principal photography began in September 2024 in Trieste, concluding by November.[3] Among the locations were the neighbourhood of Barcola and the Istituto tecnico nautico[it] "Tomaso di Savoia, Duca di Genova—Luigi Galvani".[3][4]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is composed of period-accurate songs by indie rock and post punk bands from nearby Pordenone,[2] including Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, Mellow Mood and The Great Complotto[it].[4] The ending is scored to the song "Più niente" (2004) by Prozac+,[2][4] re-recorded by frontman Gian Maria Accusani[it] with vocals by Elisa.[2] Samani managed to get Accusani to grant them the use of what was a "very personal song to him" by showing him a rough cut of the film.[2] She had been a fan of the band since since she was 12 and felt "like [the song] was written for the film".[2]
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