The Lying Life of Adults

In 1990s Naples, adolescent Giovanna is thrust into a crisis of identity when she overhears her father cruelly remarking that her once 'pretty face' is beginning to resemble her despised Aunt Vittoria. This offhand comment shatters Giovanna's perception of herself and her seemingly idyllic middle-class family. Driven by a desperate need to understand her roots and this feared aunt, Giovanna embarks on a clandestine journey into the 'Naples of the depths'—a gritty, passionate, and vulgar world starkly opposed to her family's refined 'Naples of the heights.' As she navigates the complexities of betrayal, family secrets, and burgeoning sexuality, Giovanna grapples with the 'lying life' of adults, witnessing the hypocrisy and hidden desires that define those around her. Her quest for truth leads her through a labyrinth of emotional turmoil, forcing her to confront the ugliness and beauty of her own evolving self.