Marcella Piccinini

In the Middle Ages, Federico, a soldier, visits the convent in Bobbio, where Sister Benedetta is facing charges of witchery for seducing Fabrizio, Federico’s twin brother, and making him betray his priestly mission. Federico hopes to secure his brother a burial on consecrated grounds. In modern times, Federico Mai, a Minister inspector, knocks on the doors of the very same convent, in order to broker a sale of the property to a Russian millionaire. Unbeknownst to him, a mysterious "Count" lives there.

The film, a nostalgic fantasy documentary, depicts in six episodes a family story in Bobbio between 1999 and 2008. We discover the 5 years-old Elena being brought up by her aunts (Marco Bellocchio's sisters) because her mother Sara is trying to succeed as an actress in Milan. Her uncle Giorgio has a difficult relationship with his sister and judges her for not taking care of her daughter. But as soon as Sara can afford it, she offers to take Elena with her, leaving the village and her aunts, perhaps for ever - while Giorgio, up to his eyeballs in debt, takes refuge in Bobbio. His sister will help him and sell a house.

Marco Bellocchio in his interview with Joyce in 1994 talks about his attitude towards life devoid of dreams and illusions, but extremely active, asking her how it is possible to transmit the extraordinary things that she has lived. Her straw handbag still hanging on a door of her room, the cuckoo of the room, the wicker rocking chair, her colored combs resting in the bathroom near the mirror, the Sardinian carpets, the flowers that Angela always puts on the kitchen table, the reeds dancing with the wind. Joyce's house in Fermo, in the Marche region, is a house that breathes life, a life many times dramatic but also rich in poetry. The period of exile with Emilio Lussu in Paris, the struggles of women in Sardinia, the translations of poets who wrote "useful poetry", the one that comes directly, without too many words, to the knowledge of other realities and to sentiment.

We listened to two kinds of music at home. Classical, when Dad was there. And De André and Guccini, who expressed our desire for ideals and freedom. We lived two lives. One with Dad and one when he was away: Natascia, Consuelo, Roberto would come then. The magic would start. You loved Don Milani’s motto, ‘I care.’ You remained a teacher all your life. Now I see you on the smartphone screen. We all live in isolated bubbles that can’t take off and meet. I think all the time about ways to shorten our distance, to take you out of that isolation that has engulfed you.