The Accident (L’Incidente)

SLAMDANCE 2024 FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW! That old indie magic from the oldest school is back for a spell in writer/director Giuseppe Garau’s outstanding experimental feature, The Accident (L’Incidente). Marcella (Giulia Mazzarino) is speeding through the streets as she is late to pick up her daughter, Gloria (Aurora Vullo), from school. She is supposed to be working, and her employer, Luca (Ettore Scarpa), calls her while she is rushing with her daughter in the car. Marcella begs for consideration, but Luca firmly fires her over the phone. That is when Marcella gets in an accident.

“…a woman who warns Marcella that whatever she does in this life, never ever buy a tow truck.”

Her ex picks up their daughter while Marcella waits for a tow truck. The tow service is run by a woman who warns Marcella that whatever she does in this life, never ever buy a tow truck. So Marcella promptly goes out trying to buy a tow truck as she will need a new job to help support her daughter. She goes about learning the rules of towing by doing everything everyone warns her not to do. Once she becomes successful, she is approached by Carlo (Toni Pandolfo), another tow truck driver, who tells her to stop. Carlo tells Marcella she has a nice truck and it would be a shame if it suddenly caught fire…

Yes, The Accident (L’Incidente) is an experimental film. The great news is this experiment is a resounding success. First off, Garau dials it back by using honest-to-God Kodak film stock, which is a very welcome look. This allows cinematographer Giulia Scintu to capture the natural-looking lighting in a slightly washed tone that feels so real. The camera shoots the movie from a single fixed angle, which is almost entirely from a passenger seat pointed toward a driver’s side window across multiple vehicles. If someone leaves the car, the view line stays in the same place while we see them in the distance. While this forced viewpoint may sound restricting, it is actually an excellent perch to experience a movie.