Pietro Marcello: The Mouth of the Wolf / Lost and Beautiful

The Mouth of the Wolf
This haunting documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Pietro Marcello, director of Martin Eden and Lost and Beautiful is a sui generis love story, following the 20-year relationship between a Sicilian heavy named Vincenzo and a trans convict named Mary after their meet-cute in prison.

When she gets out, Mary pledges to wait for Vincenzo on the outside, though things become more complicated as she finds herself grappling with heroin addiction. But Marcello isn't merely content to render their romance in all its love and complexity: The Mouth of the Wolf is also a lyrical, sensuous, and melancholy tribute to the port city of Genoa, capturing its singular aura and its intoxicating air of eternity.

Lost and Beautiful
Despite death threats from the Mafia and his country's general apathy, a humble shepherd, Tommaso, takes it upon himself to look after the abandoned Bourbon palace of Carditello, deep in the heart of the ‘Land of Fires.'

One day, Tommaso is seized by a heart attack and dies; but not before making a final wish. He summons a masked character named Pulcinella (a classical character that originated in 17th century Italian theater) to rescue a buffalo calf called Sarchiopone from the forsaken palace. Together, man and beast, embark on a long journey through a lost and beautiful Italy, searching for something which may no longer exist.

Originally conceived as a documentary, director Pietro Marcello had to change course after Tommaso's death halfway through production. The resulting work, shot on expired 16mm stock, is a beautiful, touching ode to the shepherd and his memory, as well as a reflection on the systemic corruption and turmoil plaguing their beloved country.