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Set in a small town in Calabria, My Place is Here tells the story of Marta, a young widow raising her son alone in the aftermath of World War II. When the film begins, Marta faces an unenviable choice: accept an arranged marriage to a man she doesn’t love, or risk dishonor by refusing. Enter Lorenzo, the village’s openly gay wedding planner, who becomes Marta’s unlikely confidante.

Through their budding friendship, Marta gains a new perspective on her life and opportunities. Lorenzo encourages her to pursue independence through education instead of marriage. But pursuing her dreams in 1940s rural Italy proves difficult, with strict social norms and the threat of abuse.

Directed by Cristiano Bortone and Daniela Porto, the film is based on Porto’s novel of the same name. It immerses viewers in a vivid portrait of poverty in southern Italy. Authentic production design transports us to Marta’s world,...

Italian period drama “My Place Is Here” is being released in Italy by Adler Ent. on May 9, and is being sold at Cannes by Beta Cinema. Variety speaks to the film’s directors, Daniela Porto and Cristiano Bortone, and debuts its trailer (below).

“My Place Is Here” is set in the years following the end of World War II. Women have just been given the vote in Italy, but in Calabria, a conservative rural region in Southern Italy, men still rule the roost.

An unmarried single mother, Marta, who is deemed to have brought shame on her family, has been promised to an older farmer as his wife. While making preparations for the wedding, Marta meets Lorenzo, the village’s openly gay wedding planner. He encourages her to broaden her horizons and take typing lessons at the local Communist Party office as a means of finding work. Here she meets Communist activist Bianca,...

Beta Cinema has acquired international sales rights outside Italy to “My Place Is Here,” directed by Daniela Porto and Cristiano Bortone. They kicked off sales on the film at the European Film Market.

Set in rural Italy’s southern region of Calabria during the late 1940s, “My Place” is about the friendship between a single mother and a local wedding planner, who is the only gay person in their village. This friendship leads her to challenge the prejudices of the community and fight to find her place in the world.

“My Place Is Here” marks Porto’s feature film debut. Co-director Bortone is a helmer and producer known for “Red Like the Sky” (2005) and “Coffee” (2016), which was an Italy-China co-production, among other titles. The film is based on Porto’s eponymous novel that will be published in Italy in March.

The film stars Ludovica Martino, who has a fanbase in...

Beta Cinema has acquired international sales rights to My Place Is Here, directed by Daniela Porto and Cristiano Bortone.

Starring Cinema Paradiso’s Marco Leonardi and Ludovica Martino (Skam Italia), My Place Is Here is a drama with a strong friendship story at its core.

The film is set in the aftermath of WWII against the conservative backdrop of Southern Italy, just as Italian women have gained the right to vote. When single mother Marta accepts the proposal of an older farmer, she meets Lorenzo, the village’s openly gay wedding planner and forges an unlikely friendship with him. Lorenzo...