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Two boys, an unexpected love and the 'Empty' that strongly attracts them.

Antonio Aleo and Maurizio Gallella Mottola's authorial documentary delves into the beating heart of Badolato, a Calabrian village suspended between past and present. The documentary, co-produced by the Academy of Fine Arts of Catanzaro, through the testimonies of the inhabitants, the film explores the soul of this place, which for many represents a refuge, a point of reference and a source of rebirth, but also a theatre of contradictions and perdition. Badolato emerges as an emblematic microcosm of Southern Italy, where centenary traditions intertwine with the challenges of modernity. The documentary is a fascinating anthropological investigation, an intimate journey that delves into the cultural, social and human roots of one of southern Italy's most extraordinary villages. With an attentive and sensitive gaze, Aleo and Gallella Mottola recount the complexity of a community that resists time, where the past is not a mere memory but a living, pulsating presence, and the future is an uncertain but rich promise of possibilities. A work that does not limit itself to documenting, but invites us to reflect on the transformations and contradictions that run through the territory and the people who inhabit it, revealing the charm of a place that, in its quietness, hides a universe of stories, emotions and profound meanings. The documentary stands out not only for the quality of its images and care in its narration, but also for its ability to bring out individual stories within the broader context of the village's history, a place that, while anchored in its traditions, looks to tomorrow with determination and openness.