Three Goodbyes

Marta (Alba Rohrwacher), a high-school teacher, and her partner Antonio (Elio Germano), a chef, live in Rome. While Antonio’s star is rising, Marta seems to lack passion and, moreover, an interest in Antonio’s recipes. One day, after many years together, the pair split after a seemingly trivial argument. Marta withdraws into herself while Antonio jumps into his new endeavour, a restaurant of his own creation. Soon after, everything changes in Marta’s world when she discovers that her loss of appetite has more to do with her health than the pains of separation. Now, with time running out, Marta must learn who she is and what she lives for.

Penned alongside Enrico Audenino and shot by Guido Michelotti the latest from prolific Catalan filmmaker Isabel Coixet, (Un Amor; My Life Without Me, TIFF ’03) is based on the bestselling semi-autobiographical novel Tre ciotole by author Michela Murgia, a campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights who died of kidney cancer in 2023. Flanked by memorable supporting performances by Sarita Choudhury, who plays Marta’s doctor, and Francesco Carril, who plays her closest friend, Rohrwacher and Germano bring true life to the screen.

Told with grace and tenderness, Three Goodbyes is an admonition that, even in the process of bidding the world farewell, there is space for joy. Coixet has crafted a cinematic reminder to stop and appreciate our one precious chance on Earth — a gift that could be taken away at any moment.

DOROTA LECH