First Love 2005

Vittorio, a Veronese goldsmith, meets Sonia on a blind date, and the two begin to date, slowly getting to know each other, despite some initial doubts about whether their relationship can work. Vittorio is in therapy for an obsession with thin women, bordering on anorexia nervosa. Their relationship deepens as Sonia agrees to lose weight — an act she seems to perform out of love, not from her own desire — while seemingly ignoring Vittorio’s troubling psychopathy.

As they decide to live together, Vittorio grows increasingly suspicious that Sonia is secretly eating. He hides food in the house so that she can only eat salads and vegetables, a control that tightens around her. Sonia becomes very thin and begins to dislike herself, feeling increasingly imprisoned by the arrangement. The shared fixation on weight spills into their daily lives, causing awkward public moments, and Vittorio’s small laboratory business deteriorates, eventually leading to its closure.

One evening, Sonia has a crisis in a restaurant due to her hunger. On returning home, Vittorio loses his temper and humiliates her, forcing her to be naked and throwing the food she had managed to hide into the fireplace. Having reached her limit, Sonia acts to free herself: taking advantage of a moment of distraction from Vittorio, she grabs a fire iron and kills him by striking him on the head.