La Gradiva (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

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La Gradiva follows a group of French teenagers visiting Naples on a school trip as graduation approaches. Set partly among Pompeii’s ancient ruins, Marine Atlan’s drama explores the anxiety, excitement and complicated emotions surrounding the end of high school.

La Gradiva is a 2026 drama directed by Marine Atlan, set against the ancient ruins of Pompeii and the streets of Naples. Its story centers on French teenagers traveling together on a class trip as the end of high school draws near.

With a 2-hour-25-minute runtime and dialogue in French, Italian and English, the film places a group of young people at a transitional point in their lives, balancing the excitement of what comes next with the uncertainty of leaving school behind.

La Gradiva movie details

Story without spoilers

The film follows a group of French teenagers on a class trip to Naples, where their visit includes time among the ruins of Pompeii. As their high school graduation approaches, the students contend with both anxiety and exhilaration, making the journey a setting for personal and shared tensions.

The supplied details identify elements including friendship, coming of age, Generation Z, introversion, hookups, an LGBT perspective and a teacher-student relationship. These details suggest an ensemble drama concerned with the emotional complexity of adolescence, without revealing how the characters’ experiences develop.

What to expect

La Gradiva is presented as a character-focused coming-of-age drama rather than a plot-driven genre film. Its setting combines a contemporary school trip in Naples with the historic backdrop of Pompeii, while its premise focuses on young people approaching a major life transition.

The extended runtime allows room for an ensemble of students and adults, including Toni, James, Suzanne, Angela, Amaury, Constance, Chamathka, Cherazade and Étienne, alongside Madame Mercier. Viewers can expect a story shaped by group dynamics, youthful uncertainty and the mixed emotions attached to graduation. The film’s French, Italian and English dialogue also reflects its French-Italian production context.

Cast and creative team

Marine Atlan directs La Gradiva and co-writes it with Anne Brouillet. Colas Quignard plays Toni, while Antonia Buresi appears as Madame Mercier. The student ensemble includes Mitia Capellier-Audat as James, Suzanne Gerin as Suzanne, Hadya Fofana as Angela, Rouge Isaac as Amaury, Lou-Ann Le Glorennec as Constance, Chamathka Warahena as Chamathka, Cherazade Hammedi as Cherazade and Camille Ménard-Harnish as Étienne.

• Colas Quignard as Toni
• Antonia Buresi as Madame Mercier
• Mitia Capellier-Audat as James
• Suzanne Gerin as Suzanne
• Hadya Fofana as Angela
• Rouge Isaac as Amaury
• Lou-Ann Le Glorennec as Constance
• Chamathka Warahena as Chamathka
• Cherazade Hammedi as Cherazade
• Camille Ménard-Harnish as Étienne

Release and production context

La Gradiva is listed as a 2026 release with a release date of October 21, 2026. It is classified as a drama and has a runtime of 2 hours and 25 minutes. The film is associated with France and Italy, and its production companies are Les Films du Poisson, BiBi Film and ARTE France Cinéma. The spoken languages are French, Italian and English.

Production companies: Les Films du Poisson, BiBi Film, ARTE France Cinéma

La Gradiva official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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La Gradiva combines a school-trip setting with the emotional threshold of high school graduation. Its Pompeii and Naples locations, multilingual production background and ensemble cast provide the framework for a drama about young people facing an uncertain next stage, while the supplied premise keeps the focus on their shared experience.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb