THE SPECTATOR is a stunning debut feature from writer/director Paolo Franchi.Valeria is a simultaneous interpreter by profession, spending her days alone in her translation booth, listening to the words of the others. She visits bars and indulges in one-night stands but is chronically detached until she becomes obsessed with Massimo, a doctor who lives opposite her apartment. After translating a conference in which Massimo speaks of "solitude, emotional poverty and detachment from the world," she begins to follow him around, intrigued by his movements. When Massimo suddenly moves from Rome to Turin, Valeria leaves her life behind to follow. Finding Massimo is involved with an older woman, Valeria creates an "accidental" meeting with her rival. This encounter leads to a mutual curiosity followed by an ambiguous relationship between the two women, which develops into a love triangle entangling Massimo. New Classics, the DVD releasing arm of the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival, specializes in introducing exciting new filmmakers on the cusp of international acclaim. Previous releases have included Xiaosong Gao’s RAINBOW and Haim Bouzaglo’s DISTORTION.
