What Lies Over the Mountain

This film explores the intersection of migration, identity, belonging, and the deep ties between personal and collective histories. At its heart is the intimate, multi-generational story of my family, focusing on my mother—an Ecuadorian immigrant who moved to a small, conservative Italian village in the 1980s for love. At a time when Italy was only beginning to confront the realities of immigration, she became the first foreigner in the village. But she was more than just an outsider; she was an educated, vegetarian, and progressive woman in a place where tradition reigned, challenging the expectations placed upon her.

By the 1990s, immigration from Senegal and Morocco began reshaping Italy’s cultural landscape, often met with resistance. Growing up in a province tied to the Lega Lombarda, my brother and I, first-generation mixed-race Italians, struggled with identity and belonging. We were “different” yet white, the children of a foreign mother who defied tradition as a librarian and intellectual. But our challenges extended beyond cultural differences.

Severe financial hardship led to the loss of our childhood home, a profound shift that uprooted us from the only stability we had known. Forced to move into our grandmother’s house, we felt an even deeper sense of displacement, confronting not just personal loss but the question of what “home” truly meant. Through this deeply personal lens, the film expands to examine broader cultural themes: how family and society intersect, how love and perseverance can challenge prejudice, and how experiences of loss can ultimately lead to transformation.
At a time when people across the world are searching for deeper connections to their origins, this film underscores the urgency of understanding where we come from. In a rapidly changing world, where disconnection from both our past and the natural world is more evident than ever, the story serves as a reminder of the enduring ties we have to history, community, and nature. Born from the untamed landscapes of the Amazon rainforest, this narrative seeks to rekindle that connection, offering an alternative to an increasingly technology-driven and detached existence.

This story also reflects the challenges of modern migration debates. In today’s climate, particularly in the United States, immigrants are often portrayed as threats rather than as vital contributors to society. The film seeks to challenge these narratives, offering an alternative lens that humanizes the immigrant experience and invites audiences to think deeply about what lies behind a migrant’s story. A migrant’s journey is never just about movement, it is a story of family, hope, and traveling. By sharing this intimate narrative, the film aims to bring people together and foster a sense of connection, reminding viewers that everyone is, in some way, a migrant.

By weaving the personal with the political, the film situates a family’s story within the broader global context of migration and identity, offering an urgent and hopeful message in a time when such stories are more necessary than ever.