At Ji.hlava 2024, the Industry Hub’s Main Stage hosted the pitch of the Italian-French doc project The Castle, presented by co-directors Virginia Nardelli and Stefano La Rosa alongside producers Giulia Campagna of Padua-based firm ZaLab, and Nadège Labé of Marseille-based outfit La Société du Sensible.
The feature doc, which has a mooted completion date of February 2025, is set in an isolated neighbourhood of Palermo, where three kids turn an abandoned building into a secret shelter. Together, they try to escape the violence of the outside world and share their dreams.
The film takes a closer look at Angelo, Mery, and Rosy, three 11-year-olds residing in Danisinni, a secluded neighbourhood in Palermo. During their explorations, they stumble upon an abandoned kindergarten located in the centre of the main square. Eager for adventure, the trio decide to investigate it. Amid the debris, they find a refuge where they can escape the scrutiny of others – a hidden space that allows their imaginations to flourish without fear of judgment. However, this haven of freedom faces a threat: after a fifteen-year wait, the city of Palermo is finally set to renovate the kindergarten.
“Danisinni is a small, poor, and densely populated district of Palermo. It’s a closed community ruled by ancient, rigid codes,” La Rosa explained, after showing the pic’s teaser. “Here growing up means becoming part of a community wherein girls get pregnant at the age of 15, and boys drop out of school to get odd jobs or join the ranks of organised crime. We lived in this place for several years, getting to know the community. We also ran participatory workshops there.”
The team highlighted how in this film the three kids’ friendships blend with “observation” and “participatory approach.”
“In the empty space of this building, the three kids, through the filter of play, tell the reality they experience every day, the future they expect, and the desires they wish to realise. The renovation of the abandoned kindergarten will begin this summer, so their secret refuge will be destroyed forever. We follow them during their last summer as children experiencing that ‘safe place.’”
“We believe this feature can reach international audiences and reach many different segments, including people interested in social issues, coming-of-age, education, as well as young adults.”
Labé added: “What brought us together [as a team], beyond the desire to work with children, was the connection with their stories and the feelings that brought us back to our own childhood.” The French producer also revealed they collaborated with two broadcasters in France and a platform in Italy, although their names remained undisclosed during the pitch.
“The best possible scenario would be sealing a pre-sale agreement to finish off post-production in the best possible conditions. Besides, we’re interested in building visibility for this film, and we’re looking for sales agents and festival programmers to choose the best event to premiere it,” she continued.
The project, shot between 2022 and 2024 across several filming sessions, is budgeted at €205,000. Editing was finalised at the end of August. Release is slated for early 2025.
