Alpa

“Alpa” is a short film written and directed by Paolo Mattei. The Corsican filmmaker developed his script in Groupe Ouest Development Court-métrage & Narration workshop in 2020.

Synopsis

Nicolas is a shepherd in his twenties. He leads a dull life in a remote Corsican village. His loyalty to the small family farm he inherited from his father and to his childhood friends forces him to stay in the village. But he feels increasingly hemmed in.

While out hunting one morning with his friends Pascal and Guillaume, he comes face to face with Achille, an old acquaintance, who has fled to the hills to escape the authorities and impending reprisal after a gambling episode in Bastia.

This encounter heightens his desire to leave his village. In secret, Nicolas and Achille meet up several times. When they meet, they plan a possible escape together. Another life becomes conceivable for Nicolas: he can choose either to flee his village or stay. Achille won’t give him the choice.