The film, Madame Luna, begins at the precise point where Matteo Garrone's award-winning film Io Capitano ends: when migrants that finally land on the shores of Italy are then ushered into the less-than-ideal Italian reception system.

Madame Luna is directed by the Swedish-Chilean director Daniel Espinosa and was screened at the Taormina Film Festival and released in Italian cinemas last week, on July 18.

By Swedish director of Chilean origins Daniel Espinosa, the film was screened at the Taormina Film Festival and came out in Italian cinemas on July 18, distributed by Europictures.

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'Ruthless' Eritrean woman head of organized crime group

The film is based on a true story and revolves around the story of a woman named Almaz (played by the actress Meninet Abraha Teferi), who after the fall of the Libyan regime was forced to flee and undertake a journey across the Mediterranena Sea, blending in with other migrants.

Once she has landed on the shores of the Calabria province in southern Italy, Almaz begins to work as an interpreter with the criminal organization exploiting the migrant reception system.

Over time, the woman gains power within the organization. However, an encounter with a fellow young Eritrean woman leads her to question herself and also possibly to redeem herself, albeit a bit late.

Screenplay based on 'numerous accounts'

The screenplay of the film, by Maurizio Braucci (whose previous works include Gomorra and Martin Eden) and Suha Arraf as well as Espinosa himself, was created on the basis of numerous accounts collected of those who traveled the same route across the Mediterranean to Europe, with a focus on what happens once they reach Italy. In particular the film focuses on the large initial reception centers, labor exploitation, and under-the-table work in fields and the building sector.

"It was incredibly stimulating to return to working on reality cinema after almost ten years of working in America. To let myself be inspired by the faces of non-professional actors, the truth, and the richness of real places. This was the language with which I began my career and it was a return to my origins," Espinosa said.

The director is best known for Easy Money as well as films such as Safe House - Nessuno è al Sicuro, Child 44, and Morbius.

'Aim was to make audience see the world from her point of view'

"My ambition has always been to reveal the most hidden aspects of our society. This film focuses on going beyond the violence and secrets that wrap the world in which Madame Luna is caught up," the director continued.

"I wanted the camera to follow her very closely," he said, "to offer the public the possibility to empathise with her and see the world from her point of view, to be able to feel close to her in this journey - to enter this ruthless and raw world through her eyes."

Espinosa admits that the film is "a subjective work concerning the figure of Madame Luna, but also one that speaks about us. Are we destined to never change in the eyes of others once we have done something unforgivable? To be labeled and constantly judged for the history that we carry with us?" he asked.

"Or is it possible to seek another road to realize the dream of a better life?" Espinosa concluded, "I believe that this film speaks about the battle for dignity. What else is worth recounting, in reality?"

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