With the death of her estranged mother and a sudden inheritance of three plots of land across Malta and its surrounding islands, Mar (Michela Farrugia) might finally have the means to sever ties with her homeland once and for all. To sell the land, she must quickly locate the plots and stake a physical claim or she risks challenges from her relatives. In need of a guide, Mar enlists local troubadour Nenu (Nenu Borg), a charismatic, roguish octogenarian whose knowledge of the region is invaluable. As the unlikely duo travels together across the dusty terrain and under the warm sun, emptying bottles and singing songs, Mar finds her bitterness gradually dissipating.

In this assured follow-up to festival favorite Luzzu, Maltese-American director Alex Camilleri highlights another distinct and vibrant corner of Maltese tradition. This time he brings to the fore the fascinating culture of għana, an improvised form of live songwriting imbued with humor and emotional depth that is used as a means of storytelling and communication. Featuring complex and nuanced performances, as well as authentic Maltese folk singers, this non-traditional road movie unfolds against breathtaking island landscapes, examining the inextricable — and at times fractured — relationship between identity and one’s concept of home.—Malin Kan