“The Castle,” which has its world premiere in the main competition section of Copenhagen documentary festival CPH:DOX, has been picked up by the sales arm of Italy’s Fandango. The film is described by the festival as a “charming Sicilian adventure with a bittersweet aftertaste.” The trailer debuts below.
“The Castle” follows three 11-year-olds, Angelo, Mery and Rosy, who live in Danisinni, an isolated neighborhood in Palermo. Driven by a desire for adventure, the group decides to explore an abandoned kindergarten in the middle of the district.
Amid the rubble, they discover a safe space where they can escape the gaze of others. It is a secret shelter where they can let their imaginations run wild without feeling judged. However, the pressures from the outside world threaten to endanger this island of freedom.
The film is directed by Danny Biancardi, Stefano La Rosa and Virginia Nardelli. It is produced by Nadège Labé at La Société du Sensible in France and Giulia Campagna and Stefano Collizzolli at ZaLab Film in Italy.
“The Castle”
Courtesy of La Societe du Sensible, ZaLab Film
Commenting on their intention, the filmmakers state: “Our approach blends observation and participatory creation, allowing the three children to represent themselves and tell their story freely.” They add: “It’s the story of a friendship and how, thanks to it, they try to face adulthood together.”
La Rosa worked as first assistant director on Stefano Savona’s “Samouni Road,” winner of the Oeil D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Biancardi and Nardelli collaborated with Savona on the documentary “Le Mura of Bergamo,” which was presented at the 2023 Berlinale in the Encounters section.
CPH:DOX, also known as Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, runs from March 19 to 30.
