The Call

Italian citizens can be called to serve on juries for certain criminal cases. They don't get much time to think about it, either: on the day before appearing for jury selection, they're randomly selected by a computer system. And so, one morning at 10 o'clock, 60 tense Italians take their place in a Court of Assizes that was, as one potential juror whispers, built under Mussolini. The camera never gives an overview shot, but always films each individual in close-up. Their whispers, nervous questions, funny comments and discomfort are all captured and brought together in a soft cacophony full of reflection on this remarkable civic duty. A drawn-out and infamous criminal case from 1974 and the judge’s claim that no one needs to be scared of the mafia lend an extra dimension to this fascinating cinematic observation.