Synopsis

On a rural plantation in Italy, the gentle Lazzaro lives with his family in permanent debt to a wealthy marchesa. Just as the marchesa exploits her sharecroppers, so the other sharecroppers in turn take advantage of simple-minded Lazzaro. His gullible nature draws the attention of the marchesa’s son Tancredi—who is orchestrating his own kidnapping, for reasons beyond Lazzaro’s understanding.

Director Alice Rohrwacher’s storytelling is as ambitious as her characters’ schemes. What could have been a straightforward slice of Italian neorealist poverty porn turns into an enchanting allegory with an inspired narrative conceit that warps time and space. The result is a poetic fable that cements the Italian auteur’s status as one of the most original voices in cinema today.

Movie Trailer