The Time It Takes

From The Distrib Films Collection

Directed by Francesca Comencini

113 minutes / Color
Italian / English subtitles
Release: 2025
Copyright: 2024

The director of Pianoforte (1984) returns with an intimate and deeply moving reflection on her relationship with her father, Luigi Comencini — a revered figure in Italian cinema, yet a distant and elusive presence at home.

With both tenderness and restraint, she explores the contradictions of their bond, tracing a path from the wonder of childhood through the turmoil of adolescence, offering an honest and evocative portrait of love, memory, and the spaces in between.

A devoted father and filmmaker shares a special bond with his young daughter, discovering the magic of childhood together — especially on the fantastical Pinocchio set he’s working on, where chaos and wonder collide. But as the daughter grows, the enchantment begins to fade. Adolescence brings distance and disillusionment; she spirals into drug use, concealing her struggles from her father. Refusing to turn away, he takes a decisive step — bringing her to Paris in a final attempt to rekindle their connection and guide her back to herself.

The Time it Takes is a sentimental drama about a father-daughter rapport, [with a] palpable passion for cinema and grounded performances from Fabrizio Gifuni as Luigi and Romana Maggiora Vergano.” —Screen International

"Francesca Comencini ... found a captivating way to reintroduce herself to new audiences—rolling out a tender but frank and occasionally painful father/daughter portrait of growing up with her movie director dad.—Kurt Brokaw, Independent Magazine

A poetic film of infinite tenderness.—Elle

“These precious moments, of moving beauty, make you want to revisit her father’s work. Charming.” —Femme Actuelle

“The blurring between reality and fiction gives this raw and moving film its charm, impeccably performed by Fabrizio Gifuni and Romana Maggiora Vergano.” —L’Humanité

“The daughter of Italian filmmaker Luigi Comencini explores the labyrinth of her memory to deliver a deeply moving account of the ups and downs of her relationship with her father and their reconciliation through a shared passion for cinema.” —La Croix

“It’s impossible not to be moved by this radiant father figure and by this exercise in admiration from a daughter to her father, from one filmmaker to another.” —La Tribune Dimanche

“Luigi Comencini’s daughter reconstructs her childhood as an enchanted journey through her father’s cinema—always attentive and kind—but from the start, there is an underlying sense of instability and doubt in the overwhelming shadow of the great Italian director.” —Le Dauphiné Libéré

“The Time it Takes has the freshness and urgency of a debut film.” —Le Figaro

“A well-crafted poetic tale, as inspired in its form as it is moving in its essence—a declaration of love both to the father to whom she owes so much and to the art they share.” —Le Journal du Dimanche

“A beautiful film that not only recounts a chapter of cinema history but also delicately explores the father-daughter bond.” —Le Point

Ways to Watch

Individuals

Home use DVD for $26.98

Available online from:

Colleges, Universities, Government Agencies, Hospitals, and Corporations

Purchase DVD for $245.00

Credits

Starring Romana Maggiora Vergano and Fabrizio Gifuni

Select Accolades

  • Pasinetti Award & Soundtrack Stars Award, Venice Film Festival 2024
  • Chicago International Film Festival 2024
  • MittelCinemaFest 2024
  • Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024
  • Villerupt Italian Film Festival 2024
  • International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025
  • The American French Film Festival 2025
  • The Italian Film Festival USA 2025

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