Lo spaccasassi

9’00”

In a countryside town in Tuscany, a mysterious entity devastates the homes of the inhabitants, invading them with leaves, vines, and wild vegetation. While most of the village mocks the legend told by Sergio, the only one who believes him is Beniamino, the youngest of all.

Director’s Notes

The film was created during the first edition of the CORTOBOTANICO contest in Florence, an initiative in which participants had to write, shoot, and edit a short film in just four days. The unique aspect of the contest was that the film’s protagonist had to be a plant, randomly assigned on the first day.

The plant we were given was the hackberry tree, also known as the “stone-splitter” for its ability to grow through cracks in asphalt and city sidewalks, often lining avenues where it provides shade for passersby. It immediately struck us with its imposing presence and a curious detail: its roots are covered with knots resembling eyes, as if it were a living being endowed with consciousness. We began to imagine it as a mythological creature, capable of breaking stone to obscure the paths of human beings.

This is how the legend at the heart of the film was born. We chose to set it in the greenest and wildest place we know: Londa, a small town in the Tuscan hinterland. Here, the magic of this being is met with skepticism by almost everyone—except by those who are still able to look at the world with a sense of wonder.

Directed by Niccolò Donatini and Leonardo Ferro

With
Franco Fortini
Pietro Tesori
Daniele Trambusti
Beniamino Zannoni

Premiere at Sentiero Film Factory 2025