In an age of conspicuous perfection, Selfie stands out as real.
An innocent teenager has been killed. What was intended to be a movie about his death turns into a movie about life, filmed by two of his friends.
It’s all because the director came across Alessandro and Pietro. With hearts on sleeves and a phone in tow, the teens record life in Naples. It’s a selfless selfie. They think hard about showing all aspects of that life, and so they capture much: their friendship, inadequacies, and boredom; how organized crime pressures different people in different ways.
Whether by editing or the talent of the boys themselves, the contrasts and earnest emotions of this movie make it a treasure. That such beauty can come from hardship—and be captured by young people with a tool that almost anyone can use—it’s hard not to be in awe.