Specials

Nine year old Mariuzzedda lives in post-World War II Calabria stricken by poverty. She has a daily routine each morning: she works hard harvesting olives and then goes to school starving. She can’t help but smell the fresh bread baking in her local bakery and continually takes bread from it, but never has to pay for it and always goes on credit from the baker.

The owner of the bakery eventually asks her to pay for what she has taken on credit, but can’t afford it. A woman offers to pay all of Mariuzzedda’s debts, as long as she cuts her hair and gives it to her. The woman plans to make a wig as a votive offering for a baby Jesus statue with Mariuzzedda’s hair.

Mariuzzedda must decide between her hair or an intense beating from her mother for disgracing her family—and ultimately proves she is far more mature than a regular nine year old girl.

 

Additional Facts:

- Won the Best Digital Short Film Award at the Rome Independent Film Festival

- Story based upon the true story of Grillo’s mother’s childhood in Calabria

- Dialogue spoken is the ancient form of Calabrian dialect particular to the village in the movie

- Aired nationally on Italy's La 7 channel

- Grillo presented with an Ambassador of Calabria Award by the presidents of the Lazio and Calabria regions for her work in the southern part of the country