TIFF 2026 Review: Idda – “Insolia and Vergano are very enigmatic and dynamic leads.”

Courtesy of TIFF

Director Irene Dionisio dedicated her sophomore film Idda to her best friend, who suddenly passed away.  Though she co-wrote the film with Marco Borromei, I hope that her friendship was less problematic than that of Adele (Tecla Insolia) and Sofia (Romana Maggiora Vergano).  We meet the pair as Sofia returns to her hometown in Sicily.  The two friends embrace, but it’s clear that the two haven’t seen each other for some time, and that there are unresolved issues at hand, at least from Adele’s perspective.

And that perspective is where we stay most of the time as the filmmaker follows these two friends who are finally tackling a mutual goal – to climb to the top of Mt. Etna.  Idda is actually the local word for “she” which is the term people give to the active volcano, seeing it as a living object capable of giving both life and death.  

What they are really after is to find the “blow” at the summit, what Dionisio describes as ‘ancestral breath – one capable of liberating memory and bringing it back to life.’  And that might be important since Adele is obsessed with things and people disappearing.  Having lost her mother and then also with her best friend leaving her behind, it’s understandable. But, the young women’s journey is not without its dangers, even with the help of a local (Giuseppe De Domenico) with whom Adele shares a history. 

The two couldn’t be more different with Sofia being a bit of a free spirit, and Adele the one trying to keep their trip on schedule and on the marked paths.  Living in the shadow of a volcano makes you feel humble, but Sofia may not be humble enough.  But the two actors do have good chemistry, acting as best friends do – calling out each other’s stuff, laughing and getting through their disagreements.  Though eventually those spats tend to wear a little thin, and once you find out why they’ve been somewhat estranged, it all seems a little trite.  

It’s clear that Dionisio is a tactile filmmaker, and Idda is interspersed with visions of rock and ash and lava that somewhat heavy-handedly coincide with where our two protagonists are in their relationship.  It’s not that these images, nor the visuals of the volcano itself from cinematographer Gergely Poharnok aren’t beautiful, just that they seem overly obvious and only hold back an already slow narrative.  This film already feels longer than its 93-minute runtime.

Insolia and Vergano are very enigmatic and dynamic leads, though the latter is given less to do considering the confidence of her character.  Yet despite their excellent work, Idda seems to stall just when it could really blossom. If you’re going to make a film of two friends that seem to be on the verge of eruption themselves, then the climax needs to reflect that.  But, unfortunately, the screenplay seems to just languish and the conclusion becomes muddled in a mix of reality and memory. 

Idda had its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 11th.  For more information head to tiff.net