La matta dei fiori

This has something of the melancholic soap opera to it, epitomised near the start by some high-angle images of an elderly lady tilling a tiny patch of stony soil amidst acres of unkempt grass and with a community of uncertain people looking on. She is clearly unwell - she often appears phased and distracted, but is nonetheless determined to cultivate this ever expanding plot despite the concerns of her husband and her family who attend, from time to time, to watch her - but rarely to actually try to engage with her. As she begins to blossom, others begin to notice her work and the film exposes her, and us, to variety of new people from all walks of life who want to help, to comment, to criticise and even to damage her project - all whist she remains largely oblivious and keen to be left alone to finish her self-appointed task. The monochrome filming paired with the intimate photography and a paucity of unnecessary dialogue actually makes this quite an interesting observation of just how mental illness affects both the one afflicted and those around her as life continues.