Salvatore Mereu is undoubtedly one of the genuine auteurs of Italian cinema, a filmmaker who pursues a personal, free, independent cinema that remains deeply connected to his homeland—Sardinia—its history and its culture. From his debut with Ballo a tre passi onward, Mereu has consistently presented with his films stories that are unconventional, rich with poetry and magic, and that have captivated festivals and cinephiles alike. His new work is titled Alberi erranti, which had its world premiere in the International Competition at the Locarno Festival 2026 and will be shown as a Special Screening at the 24th edition of Alice nella città. A few days later, on October 29, it will arrive in theaters distributed by Viacolvento, the same company that produced it in collaboration with Rai Cinema.
The film draws its inspiration from the novel “Alberi erranti e naufraghi” by Alberto Capitta (published by Il Maestrale), a book Mereu read while he was working on the screenplay for his previous film Assandira, and which left a strong impression on him, guiding him to translate onto the screen the fate of three families: the Nonne, rough, brisk, and irredeemably harsh; the Arca, romantic souls living in harmony with nature; and finally the family of notary Branca. From the clash of these worlds a fable emerges that speaks to the arduous quest for one’s own identity and the freedom to be true to oneself. At the heart of the narrative lies the generational conflict, particularly the tension between fathers and sons, and the fear of the other, of what is different.
In the cast of the film we find Romeo Perrone, Giulia Maenza, Lorenzo Richelmy, Lupo Barbiero, Edoardo Raiola, Alessandro Haber, Massimo Popolizio, Alberto Cracco, Adriano Chiaramida, Sandra Toffolatti, Monica Demuru, Barbara Chichiarelli, Eugenia Costantini, Margareth Made, and Maxmilian Dirr.
Below is the plot and the official trailer of Alberi Erranti.
Piero Arca and his son Giuliano live alone on the margins of the city, on a farm filled with injured animals they gather and tend. The Nonne, local notables, want to drive them away because they live like wanderers and because they cannot tolerate Emilio, the smallest of the household, forming an indecorous friendship with Giuliano. During a snowfall, Piero disappears and the animals are killed. Giuliano has no choice but to set out in search of his father. On his journey, he meets Maddalena, who herself lives with her father, notary Branca. For both of them, it is love at first sight, even though Maddalena is tied to the Nonne. Perhaps Giuliano knows how to save her. There is a place where they could hide that Piero showed him since he was small—a place inhabited by a small community of refugees…
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