Tartarughe sul dorso

He's in prison and whenever she comes to see him, they play scrabble. Every game means a trip into the past; gradually they unearth and piece together fragments of their lives up until now, either shared or spent on their own. Both are around the age of 30 and they don't seem to have much experience of the world around them. Both behave in their environment like strangers who don't really want to take on board the ordinary rules of life. She studied medicine but tried out all sorts of things before she eventually qualified. He only sought occasional work and still has his photography as a hobby. Both of them find it difficult to connect with the outside world. They never felt at ease in relationships and were only really looking for an impulse which would help them put an end to it. He started seeing her in the metro, her back was always turned, he knew nothing about this girl and so he started daydreaming about her. She could sense his gaze on her, but it was chance that threw them together. And chance has driven them apart again after brief moments of happiness, when they both knew that they had always been destined for one another... (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)