The reality of addiction in a tough-minded docudrama set in the bleak milieu of hustlers and junkies in Montreal.

When Howard Brookner lost his life to AIDS in 1989, the 35-year-old director had completed two feature documentaries and was in post-production on his narrative debut, Bloodhounds of Broadway. Twenty-five years later, his nephew, Aaron, sets out on a quest to find the lost negative of Burroughs: The Movie, his uncle’s critically-acclaimed portrait of legendary author William S. Burroughs. When Aaron uncovers Howard’s extensive archive in Burroughs’ bunker, it not only revives the film for a new generation, but also opens a vibrant window on New York City’s creative culture from the 1970s and ‘80s, and inspires a wide-ranging exploration of his beloved uncle’s legacy.

Arianna is a teenager with emotional and physical insecurities who, unbeknown to her parents, embarks on a quest to discover her sexual identity during a summer trip to the family holiday home on the shores of Lake Bolsano. What follows is a coming of age drama featuring a topical twist, with Arianna attempting to cope with all the typical challenges young girl faces, yet also having to face the realization that her parents have lied to her and that nothing about her life is quite what it seems. Neither prurient nor sensationalist, this debut feature by Carlo Lavagna came out of a documentary he made on a real life case in Italy, but transposed the action to the everyday lives of a seemingly unassuming Italian family. Consequently, Arianna is an arresting, touching and inspiring story, superbly performed, particularly by wonderful newcomer Ondina Quadri, in the title role.