Fifteen-year-old Chiara watches with envy as her father Claudio dances with her older sister. Grecia is celebrating her eighteenth birthday in their family home, nestled right in the middle of the pristine village of Calabria. The guests enjoy wine and good-humored banter, but Chiara is restless. She craves her father’s attention and he soon delivers, declaring she is “his life.” Similar in looks and personality, Chaira and Claudio’s bond is seemingly unbreakable…until one fateful event later that night.

A Chiara is the final installment of a three-part trilogy by writer-director Jonas Carpignano, who also wrote and directed its predecessors Mediterranea and A Ciambra. The story follows Chaira Rotolo [Swamy Rotolo] moments after her father flees the country. It’s revealed through the press that Claudio is an active member of the Mafia, which is news to Chiara as she seems to be the only one in the family who did not know. Shook at her core with betrayal, Chaira begins to unravel the truth about her father on her own, forever changing the course of her future as she goes.

Shortly after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival 2021, Neon picked up A Chiara for distribution, solidifying thirty-eight-year-old Carpignano as a director to watch. Inspired by the same village the story takes place, Carpignano never sought to make a film about this family, let alone three.

“I was living in this town for over ten years and this person I knew was arrested for being associated with a criminal branch of the Mafia”, said Carpignano. “I didn’t know what he was going through but I remember seeing the effect of this event on his kids, specifically his seven-year-old daughter who I would see a lot in the neighborhood. I remember this change in her. She went from being this free girl to being more aware of her surroundings. For me, that felt like a personable and unique way to talk about this story where I lived and how the Mafia is a part of this social fabric of that place.”

Carpignano leaned on his relationship with actress Swamy Rotolo, who plays Chiara, to maintain realism within the story.

He explained, “I had to stay grounded in her perspective. The word Mafia has so many cultural connotations. I knew once that word was uttered people would think they knew that world they were coming into. The key was to make it an authentic and real adolescent experience in the town as I could make it. I met Swamy during the first film when she was nine. Luckily, seeing her grow up, I was able to tailor the role to her. That helped me ground it in her perspective.”

Within the overall coming-of-age story of the film is a layered theme of trust. Chiara’s trust in her father is completely broken once she learns the truth about him, which is heartbreaking to watch on screen. Carpignano made sure to balance the audiences’ opinions on both Claudio and Chiara while writing the script.

“No one thinks they’re the villain of their story”, he quips. “Ultimately, I try to think of it from everyone’s perspective as I’m writing. Clearly, the father is not looking at himself as the bad guy. The truer it stays in their point of view, the easier it is for that gray area to exist.”

After three movies, Carpignano’s process shifted as he grew as a filmmaker.

“The first film was so hard to make and in the process of making it, I decided to stay in the town," said Carpignano. “Because I lived there, I wanted to keep telling stories there. I didn't plan on making a trilogy. It evolved the longer I stayed. That boundary between work and life completely disappeared over the years. I was writing from a much more personal experience because my life had encompassed all of those events at some point.”

What’s next for the award-winning filmmaker? Only he knows. As a husband and a first-time father, Carpignano feels strongly about finally finding his purpose.

“This process has sort of been really important for me to figure out how I like to work," he explains. “I’ve figured out what works for me. Not just in terms of results but what I enjoy doing. Immersing myself with people. Getting to know people. Writing things that are halfway between fiction and reality. Also, to the best of my ability, tailoring films to actually represent the people that are on the screen. I know what my approach is going to be but I'm not sure where it’s going to take me. I like to think I’ve found my compass, now I just need to look at the map and figure out where I’m going. Whatever the next thing is, it's going to be in a community I want to spend a lot of time with, and that I am happy to make a film with as well.”

By the end of A Chiara (which translates as To Chiara in English) our main protagonist straddles a blurred line between childhood and adulthood. In age, she’s still a muddled teenager searching for her place in the universe, but in spirit, she’s wiser than most of the adults in her own family. Reflecting on his own muddled, younger self, Carpignano bestows advice many aspiring writers can learn from as well.

“There are no rules you have to follow. The more space and time you give yourself, to figure out what works for you, the best it’s going to be. It’s good to have a structure but it's also good not to compromise what you feel is right to adhere to that structure.”

A Chiara is now available in select theaters.