The Voice of the Moon

The events occur in the late 1980s, anchored by pop culture motifs and the era’s peculiar politics. References to the year 1989 appear in the pageant and social scenes, underscoring a period of flamboyance and paranoia. The tone reflects a pre-Y2K sense of absurd modernity in a transitioning Italy.

The story unfolds in a rural Italian town surrounded by farmland and a quiet cemetery. The setting blends mundane, small-town life with surreal, moon-haunted imagery that pervades the community. Key locations include a deserted warehouse and open farmland where the bizarre events play out against a backdrop of local rituals and idle gossip.

🌙 Obsession

The moon serves as a metaphor for Ivo’s fixation and unraveling sanity. His infatuation with Aldina mirrors a broader hunger for escape and meaning in a world that seems to mock conventional norms. The pursuit drives most of the plot, highlighting how desire can distort reality and fuel reckless schemes. The film uses this obsession to thread between romance, fantasy, and madness.

🗳️ Propaganda

What starts as a carnival of eccentricity devolves into a political farce where priests and politicians try to instrumentalize the moon for public propaganda. The moon ceremony and subsequent public spectacle become a stage for official messaging, quickly spiraling into chaos. The commentary satirizes how power exploits spectacle to manufacture consensus and control. Throughout, individuals grapple with authentic voice vs. manipulated narrative.

🎭 Surrealism

The film thrives on absurd, dreamlike sequences that blur the line between reality and performance. A beauty pageant, a disco inside an abandoned warehouse, and a moon captured by farming gear create a carnival of imagery. Characters drift through these scenes with a theatre-like seriousness that amplifies the comedy and critique. The surreal tone invites the audience to question what is truly happening beneath the surface.