Lupo Barbiero is captivating as "Pietro," a young boy who travels from Turin with his mother to a small mountain village where he meets and befriends "Bruno" (Cristiano Sassella). “Bruno,” living with his uncle, seems happy continuing the family tradition of cheese-making. After several visits, the family proposes that "Bruno" receive an education in the city, but this plan doesn’t work out as intended, leading to a distance between the two boys and also separating "Pietro" from his dad (Filippo Timi). It's only after his father passes away that "Pietro" (now played by Luca Marinelli) returns to the mountain, where he is told his father left him a dilapidated cottage high up in the snowy peaks. Together, they begin restoring the building and also find their friendship again. What follows is a genuinely absorbing story about two men coming to terms with what they have in common and how they differ. One is content to live as those before him did, while the other feels unsettled and lacks direction. The harsh mountain landscape presents just one of many obstacles these men face as they age and become more world-weary. The film also shows how difficult a life of self-sufficiency—particularly when done in a traditional way—can be, and at times that sense of hopelessness is very clear. However, there are moments of quiet happiness as well. It's not a disheartening experience; it’s actually quite insightful and encouraging, something I appreciated for nearly two and a half hours. The performances are strong, the script feels realistic, and the cinematography—the drone shots especially—effectively showcase both the beauty and the harshness of this fascinating setting. Ultimately, the film explores friendship and moral principles, acknowledging their imperfections, while also cautioning about the risks to rural ways of life if they’re ignored and unsupported by society, particularly those of us living comfortably in cities behind our double-paned windows. It's a thought-provoking and richly developed story—definitely worth watching.

Source on TMDB