A group of Nonostante wanders the internal and external environments of a hospital (an office building used by the Lazio Region in via del Serafico 127, Rome).
They are suspended souls who observe their comatose bodies, not disdaining a sort of parallel life; watching, unseen, the world around them with an almost detached interest. They have no names, they seem to feel no emotion, if not for their peers whose condition can, at any moment, change: they may wake up, but "coming back" represents a disappointment because "when you come back it is as if nothing had happened"; or they may let themselves be overwhelmed by that irresistible wind that takes them to the other side, to the kingdom of the dead.
"How is it possible to fall in love in this state of suspension?" wonders He (Valerio Mastandrea, who also directed the film, his second work). He asks himself this when She (Dolores Fonzi) joins the suspended souls and overwhelms him to the point where he no longer can avoid his emotions, she forces him to face them. Previously, his "non" life wandered the surroundings of the hospital, an athletics track (via Antonio Beccadelli 167) and the seashore of the Lazio coast (filmed in September - November 2023 in Fregene and Maccarese, municipality of Fiumicino).
He takes Her to meet his father at the so-called “Fishermen's Village” in Fregene. At the Salto dam (province of Rieti), the lovers find themselves alone in the middle of nature.
A group of Nonostante wanders the internal and external environments of a hospital (an office building used by the Lazio Region in via del Serafico 127, Rome).
They are suspended souls who observe their comatose bodies, not disdaining a sort of parallel life; watching, unseen, the world around them with an almost detached interest. They have no names, they seem to feel no emotion, if not for their peers whose condition can, at any moment, change: they may wake up, but "coming back" represents a disappointment because "when you come back it is as if nothing had happened"; or they may let themselves be overwhelmed by that irresistible wind that takes them to the other side, to the kingdom of the dead.
"How is it possible to fall in love in this state of suspension?" wonders He (Valerio Mastandrea, who also directed the film, his second work). He asks himself this when She (Dolores Fonzi) joins the suspended souls and overwhelms him to the point where he no longer can avoid his emotions, she forces him to face them. Previously, his "non" life wandered the surroundings of the hospital, an athletics track (via Antonio Beccadelli 167) and the seashore of the Lazio coast (filmed in September - November 2023 in Fregene and Maccarese, municipality of Fiumicino).
He takes Her to meet his father at the so-called “Fishermen's Village” in Fregene. At the Salto dam (province of Rieti), the lovers find themselves alone in the middle of nature.
Copyright: ph: Matteo Graia
Valerio Mastandrea
Copyright: ph: Matteo Graia
Valerio Mastandrea
Copyright: ph: Matteo Graia
Valerio Mastandrea, Dolores Fonzi
Copyright: ph: Matteo Graia
Valerio Mastandrea, Dolores Fonzi
Copyright: ph: Matteo Graia
Valerio Mastandrea, Dolores Fonzi
Copyright: ph: Matteo Graia
Valerio Mastandrea
HT Film, Damocle, Tenderstories, Rai Cinema
A man spends his days peacefully in the hospital without too many worries. He has been hospitalized for a while but the condition seems the best way to live, sheltered from everything and everyone, with no responsibilities nor problems. He feels really good there; even if some of his wardmates feel trapped, he feels freer than ever before. His beloved routine flows smoothly until a new patient is admitted to the ward. She is restless and angry, unwilling to accept anything about her condition especially the unwritten rules. She is not willing to wait, she wants to leave the place whether she has improved or not. If she can’t live as she wants, she would prefer to die, which happens to those who end up there. He is overwhelmed by her fury, first trying to defend himself and then welcoming something incomprehensible. Their meeting helps him to accept the fact that there is no place to hide when you choose to truly face your heart and your emotions.
