Marine Atlan's La Gradiva to screen at AFI Fest

Marine Atlan's directorial debut, La Gradiva, has been selected for screening at the 2026 AFI Film Festival. The film, a French-Italian co-production, follows a French high school class on an educational field trip to Naples and the ruins of Pompeii.

The narrative explores the tensions of impending adulthood through various students, including Toni, who seeks a personal connection to the region following his grandfather's death in the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, and Suzanne, who struggles with social integration. The film juxtaposes the historical weight of classical antiquity with the experiences of modern youth.

La Gradiva previously received significant recognition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix in the Semaine de la critique section. The film is noted for its visual language and its thematic links to Wilhelm Jensen's 1903 novella, Gradiva.