Drama, Mystery, by Samantha Casella, Italy, 2025.
“Katabasis” is a journey into the underworld. Nora experienced that dark realm as a child, when she suffered abuse. This marked her, shaping her into an ambiguous and manipulative woman, dangerous in her inscrutability, constantly seeking disturbing situations to relive the only condition she has profoundly internalized: pain. And the love story between Nora and Aron is tormented, strictly secret. Aron is a young orphan oppressed by the star system which, orchestrated by Jacob, a cynical manager, made him a star and imposes another façade of life on him. In fact, only the people who revolve around the house-prison where the couple lives are aware of Nora's existence. That majestic villa is the stage for secrets, lies, deceit, as well as unsettling episodes, since Nora is able to communicate with the souls from the beyond.

Director Biography – Samantha Casella
Samantha Casella studied various aspects of cinema, including screenwriting, directing, cinematography, and acting, across Turin, Florence, Rome, and Los Angeles. Her directing thesis, the short film "Juliette," won 19 awards, including the "European Massimo Troisi Award." She continued her path directing surreal short films including "Silenzio Interrotto," "Memoria all'Isola dei Morti," and "Agape." In 2019, she directed "I Am Banksy." At the charismatic TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, at the Golden State Film Festival, she won the award for Best International Short Film. In 2020, she directed the short film "A un Dio Sconosciuto." "Santa Guerra" is her feature film debut.

LANGUAGE: Italian
SUBTITLES: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese