"The wandering trees of the title remind us of the destiny we all have, which is that of leaves a little in the wind but given the opportunity to slip into any gust of wind." Salvatore Mereu , director of Alberi Erranti, in competition at the Locarno Film Festival, explains the title of the film based on the novel "Alberi Erranti e naufraghi" by Alberto Capitta and produced by Viacolvento with Rai Cinema.
The story revolves around three very different families. There are the Nonne, rough, brusque, and incredibly mean. There are the Arca, idealists and dreamers who live in harmony with nature. Finally, there is the "enlightened" family of the notary Branca. From the clash of these worlds arises a tale of the search for one's identity and the freedom to be oneself.
At the heart of the narrative is the conflict between generations, particularly between fathers and sons, and the fear of the other, of what is different. The difficulties of finding oneself are more acute for "the younger ones," the director observes, "to whom perhaps we don't guarantee the right way to live, and so, as in the Nonne family, we also end up taking over their lives in the belief that we know the right path."
For this reason too, Mereu emphasizes, "it seems like a film that could be appreciated by young people, and I'd like it to be seen by this audience in particular. I realize that the 180-minute long format might alienate them. We've considered the possibility of a reduction, but we saw that the film was significantly lacking, and my hope is that this gamble will pay off."
"I'm very happy that the film was chosen for this competition: I think it's the right festival for this film, where we look at cinema and the background, the stars, the red carpet, which are increasingly important at festivals, matter less."
(Unioneonline)
