Human Capital

Human Capital (Il capitale umano, 2013) is an Italian drama from Paolo Virzì, and you can watch it online on iFILM. A cyclist is run off a road near Lake Como on the night before Christmas Eve. One hit-and-run, and two families start to unravel.

The same evening replays three times, each from a different point of view. First comes Dino, a small-time real-estate broker who borrows heavily to buy into a hedge fund run by tycoon Giovanni Bernaschi, betting everything on a payout. Then Carla, the magnate's restless wife, drifting through wealth and trying to rescue a derelict theater. Last, the teenagers — Dino's daughter Serena and her troubled boyfriend — who hold the answer to who was behind the wheel. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Valeria Golino anchor the women caught in the middle.

Adapted from American novelist Stephen Amidon's book and relocated to Italy's affluent Brianza, the film is a cold-eyed study of what a human life is worth once an insurer puts a number on it. It swept seven David di Donatello awards and was Italy's Oscar submission. Stream Human Capital (2013) online on iFILM.