Belonging Syndrome

Directed by Francesco Bagnati

Belonging Syndrome is a short documentary that follows Duang, a second-generation Italian-Thai girl. Duang, during a period of stay in a monastery. Through her inner diary, the film explores a suspended phase of life: the one in which identity it is not yet defined and belonging becomes an open question. The monastery becomes the physical and symbolic place where Duang observes herself. Immersed in a daily life marked by rituals, silences and repeated gestures, the protagonist goes through an experience of deep listening, in which time slows down and perception is refined. Belonging Syndrome talks about hybrid identities, cultural legacies that coexist without completely merging, the difficulty and possibility of inhabiting multiple worlds without having to choose just one. It is an intimate and contemplative story about the search for balance in a fragile and open phase of existence.