A boy of 14 is on trial at the Nuoro courthouse in Sardinia accused of murder.
As the case unfolds so do the memories of those testifying and we relive a rather more disturbing previous crime through the nightmares of the boy. A year before, the boy’s younger brother called Giosuè was left in a farmhouse for a few hours on his own. While he was wondering around the farm buildings, he inadvertently witnessed the theft of some livestock and saw the faces of the thieves. Fortunately, the farmer soon turned up and managed to trace the thieves and recover his animals but the thieves were convinced that Giosuè had ratted on them and decided to find the boy and “Teach him a lesson.” Things get out of hand and the men end up killing the youngster. Fast forward to the courthouse where in the trial of Giosuè’s brother, there begins to emerge a completely new and different account of what happened. The surprise ending re-proposes the recurring theme of justice and the undeniable right to see it carried through.
From the novel "Arcipelaghi" by Maria Giacobbe.