A coming-of-age story from director Lucas Kazan, sensuously filmed in and around Verona, Italian for the Beginner boasts five full-length scenes as well as an international cast, led by Matthias Vannelli (topping Hungarian fave Roberto Giorgio), and two studly newcomers: Venezuelan Jean Franko and Brazilian Leon. Mathieu didn't know what Italy had in store for him... and it wasn't the arts! Sent abroad by his mom, young Mathieu Laffite sets out to study Italian and to practice photography. He's bound to learn more than a foreign language and to bring home more than pictures.