ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
A World Apart
After 40 years of teaching in the metropolitan jungle of Rome, primary school teacher Michele Cortese moves to an idyllic village in the heart of the Abruzzo National Park, population 1800, to teach at a tiny school with only a handful of students aged seven to ten. He quickly has trouble adjusting to the local culture to entertaining results but gradually adapts, thanks to the school's friendly vice-principal Agnese and its spirited pupils.
Director
Riccardo Milani
Actors
Antonio Albanese • Virginia Raffaele • Sergio Saltarelli • Alessandra Barbonetti • Solidea Pistilli
1h 53m • Rated M • Comedy-Drama • Italy • Eng Sub
The island setting, the modest production, and the humor that often arises from character rather than contrivance work together to keep the film from ever feeling flat. On the flip side, a few feel the pacing is uneven, or that the secondary characters don’t always land. Still, even these criticisms tend to be soft and in the service of a film that is more heartwarming than perfect.
Overall, the consensus sees The Ballad of Wallis Island as a warm, wistful, and soul-soothing film—modest in scope but rich in feeling. It’s not trying to dazzle, but it digs in where it matters: loss, memory, music, human connection. For many, it’s one of the more emotionally satisfying films of 2025.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a quietly charming British comedy-drama directed by James Griffiths, written by and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, alongside Carey Mulligan. The story centers on Charles, a lonely lottery winner living on a remote Welsh island, who invites his favorite folk duo—Herb McGwyer and Nell Mortimer—to reunite for a private performance. His motive isn’t just fandom; there are unresolved heartbreaks, nostalgia, and grief behind his idealistic gesture.
Critics are largely enamored with the film’s balance of humor and melancholy. Tim Key’s performance as Charles is praised for being endearingly awkward, verbose, and heart-on-sleeve, often using verbal wit to stave off silence. Basden as Herb, and Mulligan as Nell, deliver subtle, emotionally resonant performances, especially when the old romantic and artistic tensions surface—and you begin to feel what’s been lost, as well as what hope might remain. The original music is another highlight; the songs feel lived in, and the film uses them not as spectacle, but as emotional anchors.
Some reviewers point out that the premise is familiar—a fan’s devotee, reunited artists, romantic regrets—but argue that the execution elevates it.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
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A World Apart
Wed 14 Jan 5:00pm ncp
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ncp - no complimentary passes
cap - captioned for hard of hearing
Populations in ancient villages are decreasing all over Italy. Thus, Michele and Agnese are thrust into a race against time to save the school and their way of life. Filmed in the beautiful Abruzzi National Park with professional actors and non-actors working seamlessly together, it is a heartfelt, funny, and uplifting story exploring the power of education, community and persistence. Antonio Albanese and Virginia Raffaele are household names in Italy, and this charming little film was a surprise box office hit in Italy. Paolo Rotondo
Critics Roundup
A warm, humanist crowd-pleaser
After 40 years of teaching in gritty, urban Rome, Michele (Antonio Albanese) is transferred to a tiny village in the heart of the Abruzzi Mountains, a place where wolves roam the snowy countryside, where he wishes to engage with every student in the school. However he struggles to adjust to small-town culture until he finds his feet with Principal Agnese’s (Virginia Raffaele) help. But soon he learns that the school’s diminishing numbers threatens its very existence.