Italian Cultural Society Movie Series - Alza La Testa (Raise Your Head)

January 24, 2022 ALZA LA TESTA (Raise Your Head) 2009 87 minutes

Mero (Sergio Castelitto), a skilled shipyard worker, is a single father whose son Lorenzo, born from a failed relationship with an Albanian woman, is his reason for living. Mero dreams that Lorenzo will become a champion boxer to make up for his own stifled career and, thus, insists on training him rigorously. When Lorenzo develops an interest in the Albanian girl Ana, however, Mero is enraged, not just because his son is distracted but also because of his ethnic prejudices. An angry exchange between father and son changes all of their lives forever, and Mero struggles to find a way to make peace, both with his son and with himself. A film that both addresses the issue of prejudice and also asks the question, “What does it take for us to learn life’s lessons?”