Summer CInema: Fireworks

Winner of the Audience Award at the 23rd Mezipatra, the touching romance Fireworks is set during the sweltering summer of 1982 in Sicily and will melt even the most cynical of hearts. This powerful story of true love blossoming in a harsh and deeply conservative environment marks the debut of talented director Giuseppe Fiorello.

Seventeen-year-old Gianni has been forced out of the closet and is constantly subjected to attacks, while Nino lives a carefree life in a loving family, blissfully unaware of his own sexuality. A chance encounter brings the two boys together and they quickly become inseparable friends. Before long, their bond deepens into pure love, and all they desire is to live their romance without fear. But Sicilian society—volatile like the fireworks sold by Nino’s father—has no forgiveness for those who are different.

The film, presented in collaboration with the Mezipatra Queer Film Festival, was selected by Anežka Nováková, manager of venue rentals, music production, and the summer cinema.

“I came across Fireworks recently and quite by accident. It surprised me and struck a deep chord—those words don’t even begin to cover it.
I chose the film not only for its artistic strength and the captivating atmosphere of the scorching Sicilian summer of 1982, but above all for how sensitively and truthfully it shows that love—even when crystal-clear and sincere—can run up against deeply rooted prejudice, generational trauma, and social conventions.
At a time when homophobia still manifests—sometimes subtly, other times blatantly, as in the tragic attack at Továrna—it’s important to show stories that not only move us but also open our eyes. Fireworks isn’t just a story of queer love. It’s a story about the courage to feel, the painful clash with societal expectations, and the strength of tenderness in the face of rigid tradition.”

Fireworks
director: Giuseppe Fiorello
Italy, 2023, 134 min 

Free Entry 

Summer cinema returns to MeetFactory for the thirteenth time. Every Wednesday from June through September, we’ll be screening a selection twelve films in the courtyard of the Smíchov factory—personal favorites curated by members of the MeetFactory team.