Director's statement

I approached Sparta as a companion to Rimini, shifting focus from spectacle to repression. By portraying a man confronting forbidden desires, I wanted to explore morality, denial, and the shadows people carry. The rural setting becomes a stark backdrop for inner turmoil. At its heart, the film suggests that repression breeds violence—toward oneself and others—and that secrecy corrodes the possibility of healing. Sparta challenges audiences with discomfort, asking them to confront taboos and the structures that perpetuate silence. It is a story about loneliness, guilt, and the haunting consequences of desires left unspoken.