Vermiglio
Written and Directed by Maura Delpero
Starring Tommaso Ragno, Martina Scrinzi. Giueseppe De Domenico
Runtime 1 hour 59 minutes
Screened at Philadelphia Film Festival

by Jonathan Jansen, Staff Writer

A small mountain village called Vermiglio is far enough from World War II to not feel its effects, but war eventually is carried back to the village. Quite literally, as Pietro (Giueseppe De Domenico), a Sicilian, carries an injured Attilio all the way back home to Vermiglio to help save his life. Pietro’s arrival spurns changes and peels back the many layers of a village that is stuck in time. War, misogyny, and prejudice are all shackles that determine the fate of the people in this village. The film examines one of the bigger families in the village, but specifically three girls in this family that all are trying to find their own fortune in a world full of small, narrow chances.

Cesare (Tommaso Ragno) is the head of the family and a scholar that teaches in the village. Teaching both adult and kids classes, Cesare has a lot of influence because of his educated status. That same influence presides over his family as well. Opportunities for his family and the people in the village stem off of the decisions Cesare makes as an educator. He’s one factor that plays into the narrow views and pathways. In one of his adult classes, Pietro is asked to retell a war story as part of the class. His story recalls him and another soldier captured. The captors decided to kill the other soldier, while Pietro was able to find a way free. Pietro questions why he was the one to survive, why did fate decide things the way it did.

It’s a central thought that continues to echo for each character with Pietro being the catalyst for it all. It can take a while for these questions to form though. Initially, Vermiglio quietly examines the family and village dynamics. The film starts out a bit slow but is balanced by the shot compositions and beautiful landscapes. There’s not much talking to start, but the frames do most of the storytelling in its examination of the family happenings and how the hierarchy is set. Men have more influence over the lives of women than women do. Women’s education, roles, and how their life plays out is almost fully decided by men.

Pietro is very quiet when arrives at the village. Being Sicilian also means he’s even more of an outsider and subject to some prejudice. Despite that, Lucia (Martina Scrinzi) is lured in by the quiet mystery surrounding Pietro. Curious enough to fall in love with him and eventually marry. There are men, especially Cesare’s treatment of his wife and daughters, that display a cold and commanding tone over women. However, Pietro is very warm and loving towards Lucia. Even then, there are hidden parts of Pietro that when unearthed don’t fall on him, instead directly influencing how people viewed Lucia. The other two daughters, Ada (Rachele Potrich) and the youngest Flavia (Anna Thaler) start to face their own fates. Ada has curiosities and punishes herself for it, while Flavia displays more maternal behaviors but is being pressured to focus heavily on her studies because of her father. In each case men either directly or indirectly have influence over what their life is to become. With each yearning to find their own destinies.

Vermiglio is an extraordinary look at the role men play in women’s lives and the small chances women have to determine their own fate. The stakes continue to get higher as these three daughters try to find their place in a village that only gives them narrow pathways. The subdued tone and quiet start may not catch on at first, but as time passes the yearning for these women to find their happiness grows more intense.