Surfacing

An immersive fairytale whose everyday heroes are mothers and children in Italian prisons.

When Italian women are incarcerated, they are permitted to keep their children with them in prison until they reach the age of 10. Often shot from a child’s vantage point, Surfacing uses 360-degree VR to envelop viewers in these families’ restricted worlds, where their imaginations are still free. After premiering at Annecy, this poignant documentary has been met with acclaim at film festivals worldwide, from Clermont-Ferrand to Bucharest to Adelaide.

Writer/director Rosella Schillaci made the film in collaboration with her subjects, who share their intimate impressions of life behind bars. Surreal animations depict their memories of the past and their dreams for the future, which are blended with live-action footage of their confined realities. Their painful stories, while full of pathos, are also testament to the enduring power of hope.