L'assenza (the absence) is a brilliant, good natured, whimsical satire of the hyperintellectual Italian films of the sixties, especially those of Michelangelo Antonioni. It is also a satire of their viewers. This has been attempted before (e.g. Woody Allen in the Italian segment of Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex, 1972) but the approach here is more subtle, indirect and understated, to the point that to describe the action would not even begin to describe what the movie attempts (and achieves).
The length (20 minutes) suits perfectly the story; no scene could be omitted, no further material could be added. The movie has deservedly garnered a large number of festival awards, among them the London Short Film Festival 2014 and the Telluride Film Festival the same year. Not to be missed.
