Jacopo Olmo Antinori plays Lorenzo, 14 years old, who is a troubled, introverted lad rebelling against the routine of his life. He is bent on maneuvering to escape into a private world where he can do as he pleases. His mother thinks all is proceeding according to plan for his joining classmates on a school ski trip. But Lorenzo never gets on the bus.

Instead, he retreats into his lair, a secret place he has set up in the basement of the apartment building in which he lives. There he keeps ants, can read his favorite books and listen to his favorite music.

But his privacy is invaded when Tea Falco as Olivia, his half sister, arrives to pick up some belongings that she remembers are there. Olivia is a different case altogether. At 25, she has been leading a turbulent life, dealing with men and shaky emotionally. She is also drug-addicted and wants to use her visit to go cold turkey and break the habit.

At first there is conflict between the two, as Lorenzo resents her intrusion. However, there is a bond between them that bursts through antagonisms.

Olivia, despite her angst, is worldly wise, and she has affection for Lorenzo. It is fascinating to watch the interplay between them. The arrival of a man in her life shatters some of Lorenzo’s illusions. By the time Olivia leaves, Lorenzo’s perspective has been changed, whether or not for the better we are left to contemplate.