A toxic romance where love becomes literal body horror — Italian cinema at its most uncomfortable.
Vittorio is looking for a woman who matches his ideal. Through a classified ad he meets Sonia, a sweet, pleasant, intelligent girl. However, she weighs 125 pounds -- which according to Vittorio is way too much. A goldsmith by trade, Vittorio is obsessed with the desire to shape Sonia's body and mind as does a fire with gold. Almost imperceptibly Sonia becomes a passive participant and the relationship grows into a reciprocal masochistic game. When the two lovers isolate themselves in a country house in the Veneto hills, they dangerously lose touch with reality and the rest of the world.
Direction
Garrone's unflinching gaze turns domestic spaces into psychological pressure cookers.
Acting
Cescon's physical transformation is devastating and entirely wordless.
Director
Matteo Garrone
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Garrone based this on a real 1998 case of a woman starved by her goldsmith partner in Verona — the film's documentary roots make it harder to dismiss as pure fiction.
The title 'Primo Amore' deliberately echoes Italian romantic tradition while poisoning it — this is what happens when amore becomes possession.
IT
