Docufilms.com ^®

Like a microcosm, the small village north of Rome mirrors the processes which characterize the development and growing together of the countries of Europe.

The village remained almost completely cut off from the rest of the world until World War II. After the war, people from the impoverished south of Italy came to the Rome area. Today almost no one lives off agriculture anymore; most of the villagers work in Rome. The village, in turn, attracts more and more Romans and foreigners: The parish priest now counts people from over 20 nations among his parishioners. These include several hundred people from Eastern Europe, most of whom are trying to eke out a living on the gray labor market.

Are there any integration mechanisms or do inner barriers develop? Can the social networks of the village community carry the new burdens? The film tries to preserve what the people of Mazzano value about their history while simultaneously asking them about the changes which are calling into question acquired rights and convictions.