In a Sicily disfigured by MUOSters who interfere with their lives, the daughter spins wool roses and the father takes care of plants which, suffering, no longer bear fruit. One day Valentina discovers that she has grown up and, thanks to her ability to forge beauty, she will be able to change their destinies.

Niscemi, Sicily, its fires and the MUOS, imposing NATO military antennas that have been installed inside a century-old cork grove. Francesca Scalisi’s new documentary follows the life of Valentina, who at almost 30 years old still lives with her parents. When her father’s health worsens, she is forced to take her life into her own hands, in a delicate and complex path of emancipation that has its roots in a land as loved as it is devastated.

We met Francesca Scalisi and Mark Olexa at the Inprogess workshop – the Milano Film Network laboratory aimed at developing audiovisual projects aimed at young directors – where the film won an award, which allowed the director to focus on the project, and to join DOK Mobile in this international co-production between Switzerland and Italy, which found its premiere at Vision du Réel 2024 (Special Jury Prize).