Anna Foglietta on Working With Alba Rohrwacher on Venice Drama ‘A Common Story’ ‘You Have to Have the Guts to Show Yourself Exactly as You Are’ — Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)
Actor-turned-director Anna Foglietta is presenting her directorial debut, "A Common Story," at the Venice Film Festival, having previously hosted the event in 2020. The marriage drama stars Alba Rohrwacher, known for Pablo Larraín's "Maria" and her role on the 2025 Cannes jury, as Erika, a middle-aged woman whose quiet rural life with her husband Mauro unravels after their daughter leaves for university abroad. Foglietta told Variety the film explores an overlooked, unglamorous section of society, examining how a lack of self-awareness and emotional tools can strain a long marriage once the routines that once held it together disappear.
Foglietta co-wrote the story with screenwriter Matteo Ferri, drawing on observations of overly child-centric parenting that leaves adults neglecting their own emotional development. She praised Rohrwacher's willingness to portray a woman going through menopause with unflinching honesty, including a scene where her husband cruelly tells her "no one needs you anymore." Foglietta also criticised Venice's gender imbalance this year, noting only one woman director is in the main competition, though the Horizons sidebar fares better with eight of 19 films directed by women, which she called evidence of a systemic rather than talent-based problem. The film is sold by True Colours and produced by HT Film, Indigo Film, Tenderstories and Blu One Lab, with support from Rai Cinema and HBO Max.
In short
- Anna Foglietta debuts as director with Venice drama "A Common Story"
- Alba Rohrwacher stars as a wife whose marriage unravels post-empty-nest
- Foglietta criticises Venice's stark gender imbalance in this year's line-up
Explained simply
A Common Story is a marriage drama about Erika and Mauro, a couple living quietly in the countryside. When their daughter leaves to study abroad, the routines of family life change, leaving the couple to face parts of themselves and their relationship they have not had to confront before.
The film is the first feature directed by Italian actor Anna Foglietta, who co-wrote it with screenwriter Matteo Ferri. Alba Rohrwacher plays Erika, a middle-aged woman navigating menopause and a changing sense of her place in the family. The story focuses on how a long marriage can be affected when people struggle to understand or express their feelings.
The film is being presented at the Venice Film Festival, where Foglietta has also spoken about the low number of women directors in the main competition. Its wider context is a debate about how women’s experiences and work are represented in film, as well as the pressures families can place on adults’ emotional lives.
Celebrity Entertainment Europe Offbeat Weird & Viral World