Rebecca Manzi The film "La vita va così", which opened the Rome Film Festival, is inspired by the true story of Sardinian shepherd Ovidio Marras and his battle against concrete giants and real estate speculation
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Opening in italian theaters on October 23, La vita va così (That’s How Life Goes) is the new film by Riccardo Milani, chosen to inaugurate the Rome Film Festival 2025. A light-toned comedy with profound meaning, it brings to the big screen the true story of shepherd Ovidio Marras, symbol of a Sardinia that resists speculation and the loss of its roots.
A true story that smells of earth and dignity
The film draws inspiration from the story of the shepherd from Capo Malfatano who for over fifteen years courageously opposed the construction of a mega luxury resort on land inherited from his family. Facing him were construction giants, millions of euros, and a promise of “progress” that would have erased the memory of his land. Marras did not give in.
He defended his road, his pasture, and the right to belong to his island, winning a battle that became a symbol of civil resistance and love for nature.
A clash between two worlds
In La vita va così, the story becomes a bittersweet comedy set between the beaches of Teulada and the sea of Tuerredda. At the center is the clash between Efisio Mulas, a Sardinian shepherd played by 84-year-old Ignazio Giuseppe Loi, and Giacomo (Diego Abatantuono), a Milanese entrepreneur determined to build a resort on his land. Mediating between the two extremes is Francesca (Virginia Raffaele), the shepherd’s daughter, torn between tradition and the desire for a different future. The film alternates irony and melancholy, showing an island fighting against the erasure of its origins.
A story starring Sardinia and its identity
Milani, already the author of Come un gatto in tangenziale and Scusate se esisto, returns to tell the story of progress’s fragility and the strength of roots. With an exceptional cast – in addition to Virginia Raffaele and Diego Abatantuono, we have Aldo Baglio, Geppi Cucciari, Nicolò Senna, and a cameo by Carlo Cracco – the film celebrates Sardinia as the absolute protagonist, more than just a setting. It’s the voice of a community that doesn’t want to be bought, that defends its identity as the last bastion of freedom.
