Vincent P. Mocco

Piedi Nudi

(coming soon)

Logline

In 1940s southern Italy, a rebellious girl and her strict grandmother live in a war-torn village. When the girl meets a mysterious orphan boy, their secret friendship leads her toward a harrowing discovery in an abandoned minefield.

Synopsis

In the medieval village of Monteroduni, Maria, a barefoot eight-year-old navigates a strict upbringing under the watchful eye of her grandmother in a war-scarred village.

While shopping for shoes she cannot afford, Maria meets Placido, a ten-year-old orphan turned street urchin. That night, after catching him stealing from her kitchen, Maria chooses compassion over conflict. They form a bond and Placido gives her a piece of his “treasure”: war relics left behind by the American army in the forbidden fields. They plan to search for treasure together the next morning but harsh realities come crashing down when Maria disobeys her grandmother and runs into the fields.

Why This Film Now

Though rooted in the past, Piedi Nudi speaks urgently to the present. In a world still plagued by armed conflict and displacement, children continue to suffer the collateral damage of wars they did not start. From Ukraine to Gaza, from Sudan to Iran, the echoes of Maria’s story can be heard in the silence left behind by modern-day minefields and broken families. This film aims to remind us that history doesn’t stay buried, but rather, it lingers in the lives of the young, and in the landscapes they inherit.

Director’s Statement

I remember my grandmother, Maria, vividly recounting a story from her childhood: a time when she walked barefoot over the rocky fields in Monteroduni, a small Italian village devastated by the aftermath of World War II. The war had left her world fractured, populated mostly by orphans and the elderly, where even the smallest comforts, like a pair of shoes, were distant luxuries.

Maria’s journey to acquire a pair of shoes, achieved through tragic and unforeseen circumstances, became a defining milestone in her life. It was not just a tale of hardship but a lesson for my sibling and me. It was a reminder to cherish what we had, to value the seemingly mundane, and to understand that we come from a legacy of resilience.

We filmed in Monteroduni, the very village where Maria’s story unfolded. The location dictated much of the film’s tone and design. The quiet beauty of its landscapes and people, juxtaposed with its history of tragedy, became the emotional backbone of the project. I wanted the film to live in the tension between serenity and sorrow, finding its rhythm in the interplay of those elements. Our visual approach borrowed from the raw honesty of Italian neorealism while taking cues from modern Italian filmmakers like Alice Rohrwacher. Additionally, I drew inspiration from Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, a film that finds epic depth in the ordinary moments of rural life.

I chose to make Piedi Nudi as my thesis film at NYU to dive into the stories of the women who shaped me. This film was not only an attempt to capture Maria’s journey but also a personal exploration, a chance for me to better understand experiences that lie outside the boundaries of my own life.

Through this film, I hope to bring her world to life as a reminder of the strength that endures through generations.

Awards

Spike Lee Production Fund

Tiro A Segno Grant

Riese Post Production Award

NYU King Award

BAFTA Student Awards Long List

Starring

Sofia Maria Zaccarella

Carmelina Di Florio

Pietro Siravo

Umberto Martella