Review: The Empty Space (Italy) by Stefano P. Testa, Alberto Ceresoli

On October 13th, 1990, nineteen-year-old Luisa commits suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of a hospital building. She had just given birth to her second child, Alberto. The circumstances surrounding her death leave Luisa’s family and loved ones in a state of shock, despair, and confusion. In The Empty Space, directors Stefano P. Testa and Alberto Ceresoli chronicle Alberto’s attempts to reconstruct his family history, crafting an image of a mother he never knew, potentially filling a lifelong void.

Alongside family photos and footage of Luisa's hometown of Montichiari, the film consists primarily of interviews with Luisa's widower, brother, and close friends. It is through these conversations that the film’s unique storytelling form takes shape. Rather than the camera or directors, the subjects instead address Alberto directly. This makes for a strikingly intimate storytelling framework, through which the audience is privy to a deeply personal, raw familial story. Moreover, one can’t help but feel that this contributed to the honesty of the subjects’ responses; we are a fly on the wall, witnessing decades of pain finally rise to the surface. Another unique device is the film’s handling of Alberto’s voice, or lack thereof. The film is told through his perspective, yet there’s no narration. Instead, the interviews are intercut with sequences of white text being typed onscreen: Alberto’s inner monologue, wherein he communes with his mother. There is a striking tactility to these typed sequences, wherein the rhythm of the typing, the momentary pauses, and the erasure of words make it all strikingly genuine.

As with real life, the film is left deliberately open-ended. The filmmakers never speculate as to why Luisa took her life, nor do they point fingers. Instead, the beauty and power of the film is in its exploration of understanding, compassion, and reconciliation. The Empty Space is a tender portrait of one man not simply trying to find out why his mother took her life, but to build a relationship with her through the memories of those who loved her most.

Shane McKevitt for Final Cut Magazine during Venice Film Week