Italian Film Festival 2026 | A Brief Affair (Breve storia d’amore)

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https://italianfilmfestival.com.au/films/iff26-a-brief-affair

Date Reviewed: 12/09/2026

Italian dramedy A Brief Affair (Breve storia d’amore) could be renamed An Affair to Remember. Except that we all know that film name was already taken. This film is certainly one that will have you guessing – especially in the final act – as the story has a twist that elevates the proceedings into quite thrilling territory.

This is Ludovica Rampoldi’s feature directorial debut. It is a strong one for the first-time director and the plot features some very strong female characters. The latter are quite a familiar concept to Rampoldi, who has an extensive career as a screenwriter and previously co-wrote Primavera, a period drama set in the world of Antonio Vivaldi.

Pilar Fogliati stars here as the beautiful Lea. She is a journalist who interviews women and is in a committed relationship with the sweet-hearted TV actor Andrea (Andrea Carpenzano). The pair also have a young daughter and Andrea is a doting father.

The film starts in a rather strange manner. The opening scene features a sport known as ‘chessboxing.’ Yes, you read that right. Rocco (Adriano Giannini) spends his evening playing chess and then dons a pair of gloves for a bout against his opponent in a ring. We learn that Rocco is a seismologist married to a steely psychologist named Cecilia (Valeria Golino, Rain Man).

After his sporting match, Rocco goes to a nearby bar and meets the enigmatic Lea. The two hit it off despite each being in long-term relationships and afterwards share a passionate kiss in a car. From there, a clandestine relationship in hotel rooms begins.

Except that this relationship is no straightforward affair. Along the way, Lea becomes quite attached and jealous, evoking Glenn Close’s character from Fatal Attraction. Lea starts ingratiating herself into Rocco’s life: meeting his wife and demanding to be shown his house. This fling is starting to get very messy.

A Brief Affair is an atmospheric, character-driven film. The story is delivered in a bunch of bite-sized chapters. And while this makes it a very digestible and easy-to-watch story, it is also very layered as the tension continues to build along the way.

This Italian-language film features four fantastic performances. It is also quite a human film, as it shows how our flaws and flirting with seduction can lead to destruction in quite a spectacular fashion. In all, this is almost like a cautionary tale, warning us about what can happen after a chance meeting with a sexy, mysterious stranger.

A Brief Affair (Breve storia d’amore) screens as part of the ST. ALi Italian Film Festival 2026.

Reviewed by Natalie Salvo