Alice Rohrwacher follows up her 2014 hit The Wonders with this kaleidoscopic magic-realist fable about modern Italy, greed and corruption.
Lazzaro (talented newcomer Adriano Tardiolo) is a peasant boy whose sweet nature – happily doing the bidding of anyone in his local village – finds people mistaking him as not very bright. The village is ruled over by the Cruella-esque Marchesa (Nicoletta Braschi), and Lazzaro finds an unlikely friend in her petulant son Tancredi, who convinces his hapless ally to help him stage a kidnapping to secure a ransom…
Gorgeously shot on Super 16mm by Rohrwacher’s regular cinematographer Hélène Louvart and incorporating some truly stunning imagery, it mixes folk tales with social critique, biblical allegories and pop culture references to create a totally unique look at the troubled soul of Italy.
Alice Rohrwacher’s enigmatic drama is an unsettling and moving satire about the unquestioning toil of peasants’ lives" - The
"This award-winning festival favorite proves that Alice Rohrwacher is as bold as any filmmaker working today" - Rolling Stone