Rosetta

The story unfolds in a deindustrialized Western European town during the late 1990s, when unemployment and welfare policies shape the characters' options. Work is scarce, and people rely on informal arrangements and precarious labor to survive. The era's social constraints amplify Rosetta's desperation and the choices she must make.

Rosetta lives with her alcoholic mother in a rough caravan park called The Grand Canyon. The park sits beside a river and functions as a precarious shelter where basic needs are scarce and tensions run high. The grim setting sharpens the film's focus on poverty, precarious work, and the daily struggle to survive.

💪 Survival

Rosetta's relentless pursuit of work drives the plot as she refuses welfare, scavenges odd jobs, and fights to keep a sense of dignity. The film follows her daily grind—from fishing for food to navigating a hostile job market. Her stubborn resilience under extreme pressure highlights the human will to endure.

🌧️ Poverty

The narrative exposes a world where economic precarity dictates choices and relationships. Poverty shapes Rosetta's interactions, forcing compromises and shaping her sense of worth. The environment keeps resources scarce and opportunities hard to reach.

💔 Despair

Momentary hope collides with harsh reality as Rosetta contemplates self-destruction to escape the cycle of hardship. The film presents a bleak arc toward potential self-damage, mirroring the emotional volatility of someone pushed to the edge. Even in moments of tenderness, the threat of collapse lingers.