WILD FLOWER

Synopsis:

Artemisia is a teenager who grows on the fringes of the small society of the Ticino region, in Southern Switzerland, like a wild flower. She feels alienated from both her mother and the girls her age, whom she does not want to resemble to. Frustrated and lonely, she roams the nearby zoo, where she recognizes herself in the caged animals. One evening, curiosity leads Artemisia to sneak into the zoo, only to be caught by the zookeeper. Driven by a need to escape, she runs into the forest—where, for the first time, she feels she belongs.

As she ventures through the night, Artemisia meets a group of volunteers helping migrating frogs. But after a brief interaction with one of them, she is alone again. Artemisia looks for a shelter in the cold night, nature suddenly becomes more hostile. But with the rise of morning, the forest’s warmth reassures Artemisia. She wanders deeper through the natural landscape, once again transported by its beauty.

At the edge of the forest, a factory appears. Inside, Artemisia finds a bombyx mori butterfly. It is Elsa, an elderly worker, who tends to it in this abandoned spinning mill. The quiet conversation brings Artemisia unexpected comfort. As she heads home, she begins to understand that the true cages are the ones she’s built inside herself. Can she finally break free?

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