As It Is

Emilia (62) has a stable existence in Calabria with her husband, Francesco (65). Her modest everyday life is clouded solely by her husband’s recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and concern for her two sons. Her eldest son, Antonello (32), has been living in Germany for several years, struggling to keep his head above water as an artist. Emilia tries to get in touch with him, but he’s both physically and emotionally distant. When Francesco’s condition worsens, the parents decide to visit their son in Germany in the hope of finally having a frank face-to-face conversation. The joy and awkwardness of the reunion after such a long time lead Emilia to fear that she will miss out on this opportunity to talk to her son. It’s like there’s an elephant in the room and nobody can bring themselves to say what needs to be said.