Italian Film 'A Common Story' Examines a Couple's Silent Struggle After Their Child Leaves Home

In ‘A Common Story’, Anna Foglietta—an actor-turned-director—delivers a nuanced study of a couple whose bond frays when their only child, Irene, departs for university. Alba Rohrwacher’s Erika, once defined by daily routines and caregiving, finds herself untethered and unable to label her growing despair, while Guido Caprino’s Mauro, a construction worker, feels emasculated by his father’s betrayal and his own powerlessness.

The opening montage of vacant university rooms sets a tone of absence that permeates the household. Foglietta’s restrained direction relies on silence, with only a single heated exchange captured in a tightly framed car scene. Andrea Benjamin Manenti’s cinematography creates visual barriers that echo the characters’ emotional distance, and the supporting cast—including Ksenia Borzak, Elio De Capitani and Caterina Casini—adds depth to the family dynamic. The film ultimately suggests that love persists amid the struggle to articulate inner turmoil.