THE CATHEDRAL

2021 / 87 min / color

Ricky D’Ambrose’s film is an unusual coming-of-age story as well as a nuanced portrait of a multi-generational American family. Based on the director’s personal experience, the feature places a boy named Jesse, born in the late 1980s, at the center of the story. The Cathedral follows the first two decades of the young protagonist’s life, presenting the compelling story of the Damrosch family in miniature, with all its ups and downs. The economic and emotional fortunes of the protagonists are a metaphorical reflection of the socio-political situation of the country they live in. The director claims that his intention was not to make a film about family dysfunction, but rather about the loneliness and inquisitiveness of a young boy looking out his bedroom window with curiosity. The result is an original collage of sounds and images that linger in the memory.

• Venice IFF – HFPA Special Prize