Paternal Leave
by Alissa Jung

15-year-old Leo grew up in Germany without a father. When she discovers his identity, she immediately sets out to find him. Her search leads her to a boarded-up beach bar on Italy’s wintry coast where she meets Paolo.
Paolo is overwhelmed and conflicted. He struggles to balance his relationship with his new family after Leo’s sudden arrival. At first Leo just wants answers but soon longs for a place in his life. With no money or plan, she stays in the small town. As they spend time together, Leo and Paolo begin to bond, discovering that they have much in common.
Inevitably, reality catches up with them. When Paolo prioritizes his younger daughter, Leo is left hurt and angry. Tensions rise. A confrontation lays their pain bare, seemingly shattering their fragile connection. Amid the turmoil, father and daughter begin to understand their truths, taking a small but meaningful step toward acceptance.
Alissa Jung discovered her passion for storytelling as a child, participating in radio plays and acting in theatre. At the age of 16, she was discovered while acting in a theatre play and has since built a successful acting career. In her mid-20s, she began directing short films, documentaries, and youth theatre plays.
After taking time to complete her medical degree and work as a paediatrician, she returned to the film industry in 2020, earning a degree in screenwriting from the Drehbuchwerkstatt Munich. In 2022 and 2023, she directed the short films The Wall Must Fall and Farah, the latter of which won the 2024 Goldener Spatz Award, awarded by the Festival des deutschen Films für Kinder (German Children's Film Festival). Paternal Leave marks her feature film directorial debut.
Juli Grabenhenrich
Luca Marinelli
Arturo Gabbriellini
Joy Falletti Cardillo
Gaia Rinaldi
Written and directed: Alissa Jung
Cinematography: Carolina Steinbrecher
Editing: Heike Parplies, David Maria Vogel
Sound Design: Jörg Theil
Production Design: Cristina Bartoletti
Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Kaczmarek
Costume, Make Up, Hair Supervision:
Daniela Tartari
Producers: Cécile Tollu-Polonowski,
Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Sonia Rovai
Original title: Paternal Leave
International title: Paternal Leave
Duration: 113 min
Aspect Ratio: 2:1
Format: DCP
Sound: 5.1
Year: 2025
Original language: English, German, Italian
Countries of production: Germany, Italy
Production Companies: The Match Factory, Wildside
With the support of: Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, German Federal Film Fund, German Federal Film Board, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH, Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film, MIC - fondo per lo sviluppo degli investimenti nel cinema e nell'audiovisivo, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Rai Cinema