Vermiglio

A small village in the mountains of Trentino, during the final year of World War II. A schoolteacher with four sons and three daughters, a sister, and her son. The latter returns home after deserting with a fellow soldier from Sicily, who is hidden in the village, and the teacher’s eldest daughter falls in love with him. The film focuses on the women, who emerge from a sort of chorus: Maura Delpero immerses herself in a patriarchal world, giving us an insider’s perspective; she depicts a series of power dynamics but also solidarity. The use of Ladin dialect, the interiors, and the landscapes create a mysterious and profound intimacy. The director hails from the province of Bolzano; the village of Vermiglio, which gives the film its title, is where her father was from.