In the shadowed aftermath of the Second World War, Giovanni Velasques returns to his quaint hometown nestled in the breathtaking landscapes of Sicily’s mountains, bearing the scars of war inside and out. Haunted by wartime traumas, Giovanni’s tumultuous spirit finds solace in the wisdom of an elderly lady who unveils his extraordinary gift: the ability to harness the spirit of a departed soul and heal the tormented. But as Giovanni’s reputation as a healer grows, he finds himself on a collision course with two formidable adversaries: the church and the mafia. Torn between his mystical calling and societal pressures, he’s pushed into a corner of isolation, forcing him to forsake his magical calling and embrace the expected life of a family man and farmer. But will that sacred soul, worshipped like a god, truly be lost to oblivion?
Born in Palermo in 1988. In 2011 he graduated in acting from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. In 2012 he was admitted to the documentary directing course at the Sicilian branch of the Centro Sperimentale. Among his most important works are the short film OFFICIUM (2014), an exploration of some of the deepest desires and needs of the female universe; the documentary PICCHI' CHI E’ ? (2013), which retraces the places and fundamental stages of the LGBTQ movement in Palermo from the 1970s to the present day; and the documentary UN GIARDINO CHE RIDEVA (2010), a woman's sentimental journey through the Palermo of the Belle Époque. His latest short film on folk magic, entitled PARRU PI TIA, has won numerous awards and recognitions at various festivals around the world. La bocca dell'anima is his first feature-length fiction film.
