Directed by Marco Tullio Giodana, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Marco Bellochio and Gloria Malatesta, and inspired by the acclaimed novel by Mariapia Veladiano, THE LIFE APART is an absorbing drama that explores identity, beauty and the power of music.

Featuring original music by acclaimed composer Dario Marianelli (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, Pinocchio), it follows a wealthy and influential family in the beautiful Italian art city Vicenza, consisting of Maria, her husband Osvaldo, and his twin sister Erminia, a renowned concert pianist.

In the early 1980s, after years of trying to conceive, Maria finally gives birth to a long-awaited and eagerly anticipated daughter, Rebecca. However, Rebecca is born with a prominent purple birthmark covering half her face. Despite being otherwise normal and beautiful, the mark becomes an obsession for Maria, leading her to reject her responsibilities as a mother.

Rebecca’s adolescence is marred by shame and isolation until her aunt Erminia takes over her education and discovers her exceptional musical talent, offering her a means to escape her family’s obsessions and secrets.

Italian language with English subtitles.