Combining high definition and Super 8 footage, Lampedusa is composed of interwoven narratives based on a series of real events. In late 1831, a volcanic island suddenly erupted from the sea a few kilometers off the southern coast of Sicily. An international dispute ensued, during which a number of European powers laid claim to this newfound “land.” The island receded below sea level six months later, leaving only a rocky ledge under the sea. A general reflection about human desires for possession and the possibility of a utopia, Lampedusa also brings the viewer into contact with the contemporary condition of the Mediterranean.