The Return of the Prodigal Son

Overview

In Italy, immediately subsequent to the war, a group of people who lost all they possessed during the conflict, settle in a village in ruins. They intend to restore the city from the rubble and re-start life, in imitation of the women of Messina who rebuilt their city, destroyed as it was by an earthquake. Oscillating between respect and suspicion, co-existence between group members is tense. Things become complicated when an envoy from the government arrives to say that nothing there belongs to them. The film is a free adaptation of fragments of the novella ‘The Women of Messina’, by Sicilian writer Elio Vittorini.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

April 23, 2003

Original language

Italian

Spoken languages

Italian

Countries

Germany, Italy, France

Cast

Martina Gionfriddo,Andrea Balducci,Aldo Fruttuosi,Vittorio Vigneri,Gabriella Taddei

Director

Danièle Huillet,Jean-Marie Straub

Writer

Danièle Huillet,Jean-Marie Straub,Elio Vittorini

Producer

Martine Marignac,Werner Dütsch

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt0362085