“We burn the old so the new can come.” This belief lies at the heart of Luciana’s astrological practice: by traveling to a specific location on their birthday, her clients are promised a kind of rebirth, guided by the stars toward love, clarity, or a fresh start. Some are chasing romance, others are hoping to mend family bonds or find peace within themselves.
Her clientele is as diverse as their destinies: identical twin sisters (always framed left and right for easy recognition), a meticulous funeral director, a lonely butcher, and several overbearing mothers. All place their trust in Luciana’s advice, venturing far and wide with the hope that happiness might await them somewhere under a better sky. But as each journey unfolds, fate proves to be far less predictable than any horoscope might suggest, and Luciana, too, must confront uncertainties in her own life.
Filmmaker Peter Kerekes, a Hungarian with a deep affection for Italian cinema, brings a warm, playful tone to the film. Lucia Chuťková’s score echoes the nostalgic brilliance of Nino Rota, adding a lyrical touch to the stories of longing, chance, and transformation. In Wishing on a Star, destinies collide, unravel, and occasionally align, as the characters search the world, and themselves, for a glimpse of something better.
Wishing on a Star was nominated for the Venice Horizon Award.
