Synopsis
MICHELA (28) lives with her son TOBIAS (12) in Resia, Alto Adige. She moved to the Alpine village immediately after her son was born to be near HEINRICH (41), the child’s father. Despite Heinrich’s lack of interest, Michela stubbornly longs to build a
home with him. Heinrich’s absence also affects the boy, who unfairly blames only his mother. The woman, for her part, feels deeply guilty and cannot get her son to respect her as she would like him to. The waitress job at the Theiner guesthouse is underpaid and the abusive owner CLAUDIO (51) makes it even harder.
Michela’s wretched life is unexpectedly changed by the appearance of ANNA (28), one of Michela’s old classmates, who bullied her during high school years. This flashy and self-confident woman immediately wins over Michela, who travels to Austria a few days later. To her surprise, Michela finds that Anna is legally working as a prostitute in a little spa center close to the Italian
border. Lured by money and the short working hours that would allow her to spend more time with her son, Michela decides to give it a go. She makes everyone believe she has found a part-time job as a beautician across the border and begins working as a prostitute
on weekends. Thus begins a slow process of transformation. Michela becomes more and more feminine and confident. Heinrich doesn’t fail to notice this, making Michela hope for a rekindling of their relationship. In addition, Michela’s new-found wealth allows her to broaden her social relationships, making gifts and loans to other women in the town and even to Heinrich. Meanwhile the weekends, which Tobias spends with his father, are transformed from a torment for both to a discovery of each other and of their roles as father and son. One day Claudio goes to the spa and spots Michela during her working hours. After Michela’s “secret" is discovered, much of the
small-mindedness and daily hypocrisies that underlie the daily life of the mountain village are brought to light, turning the girl into a perfect scapegoat. But Michela manages to find the strength to fight back, taking
refu- ge – paradoxically – in traditional values – family, life in the mountains, the rituals of the community, and finally manages to make up with Heinrich, without giving up her newly-gained awareness.