Sea Beyond

The juvenile detention center in Naples is that corner of the soul in which the dreams of all the leading characters are imprisoned. It's the place where time goes by as these girls and boys become adults, forced to leave – outside those walls –the chance to make their dreams come true. The Sea Beyond’s main theme is friendship. Friendship formed in the most unexpected of places, in a prison that has the important distinctive trait of overlooking the sea. A friendship established between two boys who have never met before and have nothing in common but the tragedy of having thwarted their own dreams by committing a serious crime. Filippo and Carmine are both 17-years-old and come from two worlds that are poles apart. When Filippo and Carmine enter the juvenile detention center, the rules of the game are dictated precisely by the world of crime – a world to which Filippo does not belong and that Carmine wants to escape. Both Filippo and Carmine are immediately faced with a choice: giving up their dreams and joining the criminal system...or challenging it and then suffering the consequences. Which side will they choose? The Sea Beyond is also the story of the girls’ section of the detention center, where only a few girls are detained, mostly coming from other Italian regions and who have often committed very serious crimes. However, when one is young, mistakes are more easily deleted – especially when a heart beats for someone. From behind the bars, the boys’ block looks like an enchanted castle towards which these girls can address their siren’s songs. These are songs the boys cling to so as to dream and fly away to distant worlds – where only the rhythm of their heartbeat can lead them. The Sea Beyond is this too; a metaphor for the boys’ ability to yearn for a future that is at times impossible to attain, but also one that only hope and dreams can make real.