In the heart of Sicily, the ancient practice of extracting manna, the sacred sap of the ash tree, stands on the brink of extinction. Industrial exploitation and climate change threaten this centuries-old tradition, once considered a mystical bond between humans and nature. Many call the obsessive devotion to this craft mannite, a madness born of sacrifice and reverence.
Set in Castelbuono, in the Madonie Valley, Contrada Malia interweaves documentary and legend, drawing from two narrative roots: the present-day lives of three protagonists, Nicoletta, Giulio, and Gabriele, who embody Sicily’s rural heritage, and the mythical past of Romilda Ventimiglia, the woman who once saved the manna trees from oblivion.
Through interviews, archival footage, and intimate portrayals, we witness the struggles and passions of Giulio, a manna farmer; Gabriele, a shepherd; and Nicoletta, a falconer and fire-eater. Their lives mirror Romilda’s legendary battle to preserve the sacred ash trees. Betrayed and cast out by her own people, Romilda vanishes into the wilderness, leaving behind only the words she carved into the tree trunks, a secret testimony of resistance and devotion.

Director's note

Contrada Malia is not just a film about tradition, it is a meditation on the fragile bond between humans and nature, where myth and reality blur. The Madonie Valley itself becomes a living stage, where the past seeps into the present like sap from a wounded tree. The story unfolds in a dreamlike, gothic atmosphere, where castles, forests, and unseen forces shape destinies. Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ Portrait of a Madonna, the film embraces a poetic, nonlinear approach, exploring the fantasies of anguish, hope, and beauty, that shatter the illusion of a stable reality.