Synopsis

Marta is ten years old and has three friends. Together they have invented a cruel and secret game: one of them takes turns becoming the enemy of the group, the one on whom they can unleash all the hatred they can muster. Each school week involves five days of solitude, of running home to avoid getting hurt; five days of denied complicity, of sharp glances, threats; five days of insults, of fear, without letting anyone outside their small group notice. On the other hand, the adult world doesn't seem to have much to offer: things haven't worked out between Marta's parents for some time, and the city where they live is riddled with constant, daily tensions. Because Marta lives in Alto Adige, a land divided between K, the Germans, and V, the Italians who arrived after the First World War. A land rich yet torn in every daily gesture by the rules of "ethnic proportionality" and, even more so, by the blade of the tongue that names every object with different, rival words. Growing up here means shouldering a legacy of divisions, abuse, and hopes, and beginning early to question what unites us and divides us. Luckily, Marta has a passion that can open a door to enchantment at any moment: music. But to hear it loud and clear, she'll have to free herself from the screeching and background noise, breathe deeply, and listen to the melody that, unheard, plays within her.