The First Assignment

Nena, a girl from the south of Italy, has to travel far from home to get her first job as a teacher. She is sad, not because she has to leave her mother and sister, with whom everything is clear and sometimes difficult, but because she is having a serious love affair with someone from her village to whom she is very committed: a young upper-middle class man who seems to sincerely feel the same. They promise that nothing will change between them. It is only until June and then she can ask for a transfer. And so she leaves, a little sad and a little curious about what is in store for her. But what she finds is completely different from what she imagined.

Directed by Giorgia Cecere, The First Assignment leans on a strong ensemble — Isabella Ragonese, Alberto Boll, Francesco Chiarello — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2011.