Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development Welcomes Queer Musical, Eco Body Horror and Bruce LaBruce’s Melodrama with Monica Bellucci and Béatrice Dalle

Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development platform has unveiled its latest slate of film projects, drawing from Austria, France, Germany, and Switzerland. This year’s selection showcases a rich array of narratives that tackle themes of identity, family dynamics, and societal transformation through unique cinematic approaches.

Among the notable entries is Bruce LaBruce’s inaugural French-led feature, Third Take. The film centers on two actresses, portrayed by Monica Bellucci and Béatrice Dalle, whose reunion on a film set reawakens a complex, fading romance. Described as a female-driven melodrama, the project blends elements of classical glamour with raw emotional realism to explore the essence of performance and human resilience.

In the realm of musical cinema, Cuore Matto offers a vibrant queer and feminist coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the late 1960s. Directed by Tamer Ruggli, the film follows a mother and son navigating the era’s profound social shifts. The narrative draws parallels between the period’s spirit of emancipation and contemporary tensions around identity and social norms, employing the musical format to transcend language and cultural divides.

Family relationships and personal transformation take center stage in Henning Beckhoff’s Dyspnoe. The film portrays a father and daughter during a three-week rehabilitation retreat by the North Sea. Blending intimate realism with subtle fantastical elements, it explores themes of exhaustion, masculinity, and emotional reconnection as the father undergoes a poetic metamorphosis.

Shooting Watermelons by Antonio Donato examines masculinity and paternal authority through the lens of a summer holiday involving a father and his two sons. Drawing from personal memories, the film reflects on societal expectations of men and the hidden vulnerabilities beneath everyday performances, using irony and heartfelt storytelling to question traditional patriarchal roles.

Jessica Puppo’s Reign of Silures presents a distinctive ecological body horror narrative set in a thermal palace on Lake Geneva. The story focuses on two sisters surviving amid environmental decay and a luxurious setting that conceals deeper dangers. The film intertwines generational betrayal and ecological ruin with an emotionally charged sibling relationship.

Other female-led projects further expand the festival’s thematic diversity. Clara Stern’s Wrecking Ball follows a woman confronting real estate pressures and marital collapse, while Claudia Rorarius’ sci-fi drama Humanoid explores artificial intelligence, grief, and identity through the story of a 48-year-old artist creating an android replica of her deceased partner.

Magnetic Storms, directed by Wendy Pillonel, explores a young rugby player’s struggle alongside her mother in an isolated Italian village, confronting familial tensions and personal upheaval. Florian Hoffmann’s Yazz delves into life inside a UN refugee camp in the Central African Republic, portraying a teenager’s journey amid privilege, danger, and generational conflict.

The lineup also includes Yumi, by Silvia Luzi and Luca Bellino, which examines surveillance and adolescence through the story of a thirteen-year-old girl constantly monitored by her father’s parental control app. This intimate drama highlights contemporary concerns about privacy and familial relationships.

Hilal Baydarov’s Stone Over Stone focuses on survival and resilience within a divided Eastern European city. Set against the backdrop of an unfinished high-rise, the film follows characters grappling with the aftermath of violence and displacement, emphasizing the human cost of conflict.

Collectively, these projects underscore Alliance 4 Development’s commitment to fostering films that reflect diverse European experiences and address pressing social issues. The selection balances artistic ambition with narratives that resonate on both personal and political levels, positioning the platform as a vital incubator for innovative cinema that speaks to contemporary audiences across the continent.