Malanima

Sicily, Nineties. Mia grew up on the island of Favignana, a hidden jewel in the Egadi archipelago, a place that has always seen people leave and never stay. In the summer of her thirteen years, following the death of her grandmother, her aunt announces that she will go away because she suffers from malanima, a sickness like a cold stroke, which comes to those who are in a place they don’t belong to. It is the same malaise that Mia will see in Marina, a girl that moved to the island and that does not want to make friends with anyone. Mia gets impressed by her and starts looking for a way to get closer to Marina. They will begin to do research together on her family origins: Marina is the daughter of a “scurdata”, a woman exiled from the family because she became pregnant out of wedlock. This is why Marina is not accepted on the island and soon becomes prey to malanima, a pain that persists despite the strong friendship with Mia. This is why Mia proposes a pact: once adults, they will leave together from Favignana. But growing up, it’s hard to carry promises.