LA GRADIVA (NYFF 2026) – Review by Margaret Barton-Fumo
Already an accomplished cinematographer, the young French director Marine Atlan recently burst onto the international film scene at this year’s New York Film Festival with her debut feature, the highly acclaimed La Gradiva. The film previously premiered in the Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section’s Grand Prize and was nominated for both the Camera d’Or and Queer Palm. Focusing on a group of late teens on a school trip to the ruins of Pompeii, Atlan’s film ebbs and flows with the rhythms of its young subjects, eventually building into a surprising moment of tragedy. Closely attuned to schoolteacher Mme Mercier (Antonia Buresi)’s struggles as a well-meaning educator, Atlan taps into some ancient truths while observing her youthful, energetic leads.
Mme Mercier gives her students an intimidating assignment: “to bring to life something that has been dead for 2,000 years.” Working from the art and decay that surrounds them, the kids respond with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Suzanne (Suzanne Gerin) is extremely shy but an eager pupil, hopelessly paired for a group project with Toni (Colas Quignard), our troubled, ostensible hero. Suzanne is applying to a prestigious art school—she sketches the impressive statues of Pompeii and participates earnestly in class discussions. Toni, on the other hand, feigns constant indifference, acting out in class and refusing to take Mme Mercier’s complaints seriously. During his free time he gallavants around town with a casual Grindr hookup, but even Toni is not immune to Pompeii’s historic pull, as he composes a moving poem from the point of view of one of the volcano’s victims. Unfortunately he submits his efforts a bit too late, and Mme Mercier falters in her ethical high ground by impulsively rejecting his writing without even reading it.
Situated in the middle of the students’ social circle is James (Mitia Capellier-Audat), Toni’s best friend and a member of the hip in-crowd. His social status is higher than that of Toni, with a successful journalist mother and a cushy financial background. Handsome and superficial at first glance, James reveals more depth than expected, and his friendship with Toni is especially close. This trio of students—Toni, Suzanne and James—attracts most of Atlan’s attention, with numerous other characters rotating in and out of focus. The kids’ interaction with the art of Pompeii is genuine and captivating, and reminiscent of other contemplative museum-set films like Jem Cohen’s Museum Hours (2012) and Mati Diop’s Dahomey (2024). Meditative sequences alternate with scenes of fervent discussion, with characters developing and revealing themselves along the way.
Toni’s story is particularly moving, and greatly impacted by his social class. Coming from a financially modest, broken home, Toni embarks on the trip with an ambitious goal: to uncover his wealthy Neapolitan family heritage. Following some ramshackle detective work with the help of Suzanne, Toni makes an upsetting discovery that throws him into an emotional disarray. Here the film takes an unexpected formal and dramatic turn that is sure to divide viewer impressions.
Toni’s trajectory carries the film from a naturalistic ensemble piece into a highly emotional melodrama. It’s a bold choice on behalf of Marine Atlan, one that puzzled some of the critics at the NYFF press screening. It’s admirable for a first-time director to follow her gut so confidently, and La Gradiva will surely have audiences discussing the film—not unlike its spirited subjects—for some time to come. It will be released to general audiences on December 15th, to be distributed by MK2 Films.
