Wishing on a Star

Peter Kerekes / Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria & Croatia / 2024 / 99 min

Forget about crystal balls and tarot cards. Luciana has a much better idea on how to sort things out and find happiness: Just celebrate your birthday in a place in the world designated especially for you by the sun, the moon and the stars, and you’ll experience a spiritual rebirth and see life’s possibilities with fresh eyes. And heaven knows there is a demand for just that from her many clients. Under Luciana’s expert guidance, we meet a cast of characters that simply could not have been invented. An aging undertaker who wants a child. The twins Adriana and Giuliana, who insist on being very different but dress exactly the same. And then, of course, Luciana herself, who throws around wise-life one-liners with authority. But perhaps she has dreams of her own that she hasn’t yet admitted to herself? Czech Peter Kerekes is a formidable judge of character and a great stylist who doses the ingredients of his bittersweet tragicomedy with a sure hand – and with great love for his cast.