cinematography
Mélanie Akoka
editing
Jonas Carpignano
music
Andrea De Sica
sound
Giuseppe Tripodi
production design
Alberta Avanzi
costumes
Nicoletta Taranta

cast
Elliott Crosset Hove (Irishman)
Angela Fontana (Nymphs)
Koudous Seihon (Keykey)

producers
Jonas Carpignano
Paolo Carpignano
production
Stayblack Productions
with Rai Cinema
co-productions
Snowglobe
Film I Väst
with the support of
Calabria Film Commission

world sales
Luxbox
info@luxboxfilms.com
www.luxboxfilms.com

In the rugged, fog-shrouded mountains of Aspromonte, an archaeologist and his assistants are seeking an ancient treasure. But their digs release mysterious mythological creatures who will change the lives of the inhabitants of a remote village forever.

2024 Basileia
2021 Luna Piena (short)
2019 Vernice (short, doc)
2018 Ninfe (short)

“Aspromonte, with its wild, savage landscapes, is the real protagonist of the story I tell. There, the past is always present; it is the keeper of tradition that also metes out fates that are inescapable. Conflicts explode with no warning at special times, when outside forces and foreign threats come into play. In my film, the archaeologist and the activity he brings to the area represent this sudden, violent intrusion that will trigger unimaginable consequences. The attempt to unearth the past and submit it to the imperatives of science and commerce will unleash violent, monstrous reactions. From the bowels of a wounded and desecrated planet emerge the Nymphs, menacing yet charismatic presences. They are creatures with no inhibitions at all: neither human nor divine; neither alive nor dead. Once they have been freed, they steal into the nearby villages, sowing death and destruction. Undefinable, ephemeral and ethereal as the fog on the hillsides, they leave indelible traces on whatever they touch. They have come to re-establish a distance between humans and the world’s mysteries.” (Isabella Torre)

Isabella Torre is an Italian writer, director, and actress. In 2018, she wrote, directed, and starred in her first short film, Ninfe, which had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. In 2019, she directed Vernice, a documentary short about the second generation of immigrants in Italy, based on the story of Mojo, a Roman rapper. She returned to Venice in 2021 with her short film Luna piena, selected for the International Critics’ Week. Basileia is her first feature-length film.