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The Space Between

Name: The Space Between
Director: Ruth Borgobello
Released: 2017
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

7.5/10

Good

2017

TV-14

Director

Ruth Borgobello

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film offers a nuanced character study that emphasizes individual ability to act over traditional social structures. It successfully presents women with professional ambitions and explores the complexities of familial obligations without resorting to simplistic binaries. However, the narrative remains centered on a predominantly European demographic. The lack of explicit LGBTQ+ representation and multi-ethnic casting limits its broader social impact. Overall, the work provides a moderate progressive engagement, focusing on emotional autonomy rather than large-scale demographic changes.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Space Between have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on a heterosexual relationship between Marco and Olivia. While it doesn't explicitly include LGBTQ+ identities, it avoids common clichés associated with immediate marriage or domestic life.

How does The Space Between portray gender?

Good

Olivia is a strong-willed character with professional aspirations. She avoids passive romantic roles, offering a counter-narrative to traditional, submissive feminine roles through her active involvement.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Space Between?

Fair

The film is set in a predominantly European environment in Northern Italy. Though it incorporates elements of both Australian and Italian cultures, it lacks a multi-ethnic cast.

How does The Space Between represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative delves into complex family obligations and subjective morality. The setting in Friuli-Venezia Giulia provides a meaningful backdrop for emotional reflection and personal truth.

Does The Space Between include disability representation?

Fair

The film addresses aging and physical decline through Marco's father's condition. It portrays illness as a catalyst for character development rather than a spectacle of suffering.

Present on Screen

Olivia is portrayed as an ambitious professional rather than a passive romantic interest.
The film handles physical decline with dignity and narrative purpose, avoiding 'inspiration porn'.
The story explores nuanced themes of responsibility and personal truth over rigid social norms.

Limited or Absent

The cast lacks visible multi-ethnic or diverse racial representation.
There is an absence of explicit LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives.
The setting favors a more homogeneous European demographic.

Official Synopsis

Marco is a 35 year-old ex-chef who has given up his career and any sense of hope to return to Udine in Northern Italy to nurse his ailing father. Even when offered a job at a restaurant in Melbourne, he declines using his father as the excuse. When tragedy strikes, the only glimmer of joy arrives in the form of Olivia, a spirited Australian chasing her dream of working in design while on a family mission in Udine. Against the stunning vineyards, rugged mountains and blue Adriatic of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, these two very different people find themselves at a crossroads that will change their lives forever.

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