Emanuele Crialese’s autobiographical tale of growing up as a trans boy in early-70s Italy features a powerhouse performance from Penélope Cruz (right up there with her work in Ferrari) and musical flights of fancy alongside a powerful coming-of-age tale.

Clara has echoes of the glamorous but “unhinged” Aunt Patrizia from Paolo Sorrentino’s similar The Hand of God. Both women are cursed with beauty in a society that aggressively fetishises it.

L’immensità is anchored to a tougher emotional baseline by young female actor Luana Giuliani as Andrea, perfectly capturing a mix of vulnerability and bolshie sullenness.

For Clara [(Penelope Cruz)], music is a source of personal liberation; it's clear that for Emanuele Crialese, cinema has been as well. [Full review in Spanish]