Like so many other villages experiencing a rural exodus, Riace – a small village situated in the extreme south of Italy – was slowly dying. But in 1998, a boat transporting 300 Kurds washed up on its beach. The spontaneous reaction of Riace’s inhabitants, who decided to welcome the migrants by renovating abandoned houses, would profoundly change its future course. Elections are looming, and the opposition, supported by the local mafia, wants to get rid of the left-wing mayor.

The documentary explores the question whether the inhabitants can defend what they’ve so courageously rebuilt.