A Small Southern Enterprise

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Peter G Part comedy, part family (or extended-family) drama, with a gentle element of social commentary, the film tells a story that many of us have lived, in one way or another, in the past fifty years, but in a distinctively Italian context, and filmed on the coast of Sardinia. The world, as Stella – a retired schoolteacher in socially conservative Southern Italy – has known it has been turned upside down.  Her adored son, Costantino, has left the priesthood and her recently married daughter, Rosa Maria, has a secret. Scandalized, Stella sends her son to live in an abandoned lighthouse, owned by the family. There he's joined by an assortment of eccentrics, who don’t quite meet the expectations of the traditional society around them: Costantino’s musician brother-in-law, Arturo, Arturo’s wife (Costantino’s sister) and her lesbian girlfriend Valbona, Valbona’s retired sex-worker sister, two construction contractors (one an aspiring stuntman) and Mela, the young daughter of one of them. The members of this tight little community collaborate to transform the rundown structure into a chic hotel, while sharing responsibility for the education of Mela, who will be removed from her father’s custody unless she passes an upcoming academic exam.  The growing mutual respect, affection and generosity evident in the relations among members of this crew, combined with Stella’s love of her children, gradually open her eyes to new possibilities. But not everyone in the area is convinced. This film was well received at SIFF but, unfortunately, not distributed in the U.S. or widely seen or reviewed elsewhere outside of Italy. Filmed on the coast of Sardinia Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/15/24 Full Review Audience Member A great story about a family which comes together thanks to their old lighthouse. A journey of reform in the later as well as in their own thoughts and spirits leads the movie to a loving ending. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Una graziosa commedia con lo stile tipico di Papaleo ed un meraviglioso brano di Erica Mou nella colonna sonora. Bravissimi gli attori, un po' debole lo script. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Una graziosa commedia con lo stile tipico di Papaleo ed un meraviglioso brano di Erica Mou nella colonna sonora. Bravissimi gli attori, un po' debole lo script. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Small Southern Enterprise

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