Synopsis
The caustic, bohemian Daniele Kihlgren is the rebellious third child of a wealthy family of cement industry magnates.In the late 90s, he rides his motorbike to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a medieval village perched on top of the rugged mountains of Abruzzi. It is love at first sight.
He realizes that in a place like that he can fulfil an old dream of his –- perfectly restoring a run-down medieval town, and turning it into a hotel. The bottom line is to make a profit from the conservation of the landscape rather than from its destruction, as is so often the case in Italy.
The idea is good and it works. Tourists start flocking to Santo Stefano. Emboldened by his success, Kihlgren buys houses in other old villages, and develops a similar plan for the Sassi of Matera.
However, he has more an artistic than an entrepreneurial temperament. A careless financial management, combined with an almost obsessive perfectionism, soon causes trouble.
In the unique, splendid scenery of Italy’s hidden treasures, director and d.o.p. Alessandro Soetje tells the story of a man who, like his own country, has a big heart but perhaps cannot love himself.