Based on the 1983 autobiographical novel L’università di Rebibbia by Goliarda Sapienza, the film centres on Sapienza’s time in prison in Rome in 1980, following a conviction for theft, and while inside Rebibbia, forms deep bonds with fellow inmates, particularly Roberta and Barbara, and these relationships become central to her emotional and intellectual transformation.
The title, Fuori, meaning “outside,” speaks to the blurred line between confinement and freedom. There are no flashbacks to give context, instead Martone focuses on stillness and detail without resolution, time simply passes. The aesthetic too, is stripped back—think sparse interiors and hard light, Rome is shot with distance, so there are no romanticised settings here.
In keeping with this approach, performances are measured as Golino brings complexity and control to the role of Sapienza. De Angelis and Elodie bring emotional precision as her inmates. The cast also includes Corrado Fortuna, Antonio Gerardi, and Francesco Gheghi.
After all, Martone has built a career on this kind of filmmaking with previous pictures like Nostalgia, Capri-Revolution, and The Mayor of Rione Sanita sharing the same slow pace and sensitivity to place, and so, Fuori fits within this body of work. It’s a film about absence, memory, and the subtle, sometimes painful shape of freedom, creating a picture that’s composed and wholly intentional.
