Castello, Il

Observational documentary about the daily goings-on at Malpensa international airport in Milan. The airport serves as a metaphor for a society in which basic freedoms are restricted due to red tape, procedures and controls.

Long, silent shots of a deserted arrival hall, small vehicles driving across the runway, a customs official that inspects the physical condition of living lobsters, while human intestines are checked for drugs in interrogation rooms. Il Castello zooms in on the daily goings-on at Malpensa airport in Milan. We see how different authorities keep law and order at the airport. Soldiers receive special training to be prepared for any terrorist attacks. We see police dogs sniffing incoming luggage and the explosives disposal unit taking care of a suspicious suitcase. While the airport officials ensure that the arrival and departure of passengers and goods take place according to strict rules, the camera moves to an elderly woman who has made one of the public toilets into a her new home.