Italian Studies is less a puzzle to be solved and more a "lyrical film about dislocation". It suggests that memory may not be the only thing that defines us; rather, our identity is also shaped by our immediate connections and the "elusive nature" of our consciousness in the present moment. Leon’s work serves as a reminder that even when we are lost, the human desire for connection remains an indelible part of our core.
In Adam Leon’s Italian Studies , the bustling, neon-lit labyrinth of New York City becomes a stage for a profound loss of self. The film follows Alina Reynolds (Vanessa Kirby), a London-based writer who suddenly finds herself in an amnesiac fugue state while visiting Manhattan. By stripping its protagonist of her history, the film poses a central, haunting question: if we lose our memories, what remains of our identity? A Lyrical Disorientation Italian Studies (2022)
One of the film's most striking choices is Alina’s gravitation toward a group of teenagers, led by the charismatic Simon (Simon Brickner). While adult society demands names, professions, and social scripts—all of which Alina has forgotten—the teenagers exist in a "liminal space" where identity is still fluid and experimental. By befriending these "free-spirited" youths, Alina finds a community that accepts her guileless state, effectively becoming a peer to those who are also still figuring out who they are. The Weight of the Past Italian Studies is less a puzzle to be
Unlike traditional dramas that rely on linear exposition, Italian Studies is defined by its "dreamlike, disorienting" filmmaking. The narrative mirrors Alina's internal chaos, drifting between her real-time wandering and "imagined conversations" that blur the line between reality and the fiction she once wrote. Vanessa Kirby’s performance is central to this atmosphere; she portrays Alina not with dramatic hysterics, but with a "perpetually hazy" bewilderment that forces the audience to experience the city through her unmoored eyes. Youth as an Anchor In Adam Leon’s Italian Studies , the bustling,
The film’s title comes from a collection of short stories Alina authored, a fact she only discovers halfway through her journey. This revelation creates a poignant tension: is she truly "liberated" by her amnesia, or is she a ghost haunting her own life? When she finally reads her own work in a library, she impulsively signs the book, a desperate act of "imprinting herself" on a legacy she no longer remembers creating. Conclusion
Identity in the Fugue: An Analysis of Italian Studies (2022)