To theborder between Italy and Switzerland, the village of Schignano survives stubbornly attached to its traditions firmly anchored to the historical practice of smuggling. Luca and Sara, 18 years old, are in love. They were born here and have never moved beyond Como. The village is their cocoon, their refuge but also their open-air cage.

Luca doesn’t want to live anywhere else. He loves the forest, hunting and has recently become a smuggler of migrants. This wild world, which is his playground, gives him the feeling of being free. Sara, on the other hand, feels more and more constrained in this closed community. He wants to try his luck elsewhere, perhaps in Switzerland, to return only in the future.

Carnival, the most significant period in village life, is approaching. On this occasion, the young people of the town experience a collective initiation rite and passage into the world of adults. This year will also be a moment of choice for Sara and Luca.