An adolescent initiation rite takes place amidst the rocks and gulleys of an unnamed village in Southern Italy. In the background, smoke belches from the Ilva factory in Taranto. Il paese delle spose infelici was shot in Taranto and the surrounding province, an area that the director describes as ‘violated’, as beautiful and wild as it is ruined by the fumes from the chimneys, whose essence is reflected in the souls of the main characters. The main location used is Massafra (the bride jumps from the Sanctuary of the Madonna di tutte le Grazie), while other settings included Palagiano, on the Ionian Coast, in particular the beach of Pino di Lenne, Chiatona and several areas of the village and an abandoned villa in the countryside between Mottola and Noci.
An adolescent initiation rite takes place amidst the rocks and gulleys of an unnamed village in Southern Italy. In the background, smoke belches from the Ilva factory in Taranto. Il paese delle spose infelici was shot in Taranto and the surrounding province, an area that the director describes as ‘violated’, as beautiful and wild as it is ruined by the fumes from the chimneys, whose essence is reflected in the souls of the main characters. The main location used is Massafra (the bride jumps from the Sanctuary of the Madonna di tutte le Grazie), while other settings included Palagiano, on the Ionian Coast, in particular the beach of Pino di Lenne, Chiatona and several areas of the village and an abandoned villa in the countryside between Mottola and Noci.
In a southern factory town, 15-years-old Veleno becomes unlikely friends with Zaza, a talented young footballer hoping to be spotted by a major team. One day, Annalisa, a mysterious, tormented and beautiful woman, tries to jump off the church roof becoming an instant legend among the locals and a source of wonder for the boys.
