Drama
Germany,Italy,Switzerland,France
Happy as Lazzaro is a 2018 Italian drama film directed by Alice Rohrwacher. The film follows a young man named Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo), who lives with his family and other sharecroppers in a remote rural area in Italy. Despite their circumstances, Lazzaro maintains his innocence and pure heart, and is content with his simple life.
One day, Lazzaro befriends the marquise’s son Tancredi (Luca Chikovani), who convinces him to help stage his own kidnapping in order to escape from his family's oppressive grip. Lazzaro, being naive, goes along with it. However, after the "kidnapping" goes awry, Lazzaro wakes up in a very different world, one that he could never have imagined.
As Lazzaro adjusts to his new surroundings, he begins to understand the harsh realities of the world and the suffering of the working class. With his unwavering kindness and devotion, he becomes an unlikely hero in a story that explores themes of social injustice, class struggle, and the price of innocence.
The film received critical acclaim, and was praised for its beautiful cinematography, compelling performances, and poignant storytelling. It premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where Rohrwacher won the Best Screenplay award.
