Beatrice is a motor-mouthed fantasist, a self-styled billionaire countess who likes to believe she's on intimate terms with world leaders. Donatella is a tattooed introvert, a fragile young woman locked in her own mystery. They are both patients at the Villa Biondi, a progressive but secure psychiatric clinic. Paolo Virzi's new film tells the story of the unpredictable and moving friendship that develops between the two women as they flee the mental institution in search of love and happiness in the open-air nuthouse – the world of sane people.
“We wanted it to be a fun and humane comedy, but also a story not afraid of dipping its toe into a fairytale, or even a psychedelic trip, without being whimsical. We also wanted to show the injustice, subjection and suffering of vulnerable people, of women who are stigmatised, ignored, condemned, or shut off. However, we did not want to turn the film into a pamphlet or a social exposure documentary - there are a few very good ones of those around already. If anything, we were looking for glimpses of joy, or at least happiness and pulsating excitement, even when they are constrained and confined. Is it alright to smile, or even laugh whilst telling a tale of suffering, or is this improper and outrageous? I hope it’s alright, because this is what I like to do when I make a film. In actual fact, it’s my main goal.“
Paolo Virzi
