After his father disappears in a fishing accident, 20-year-old Filippo operates a small hostel with his mother in a small island in Southern Italy. Grandfather Ernesto stubbornly maintains the life of a fisherman, while his uncle converted to the tourist industry. Filippo’s family hides an illegal immigrant mother and son who have escaped from a Libyan prison. After winning the Venice Best Director Award with The Golden Door, Crialese comes back four years later with this beautiful film. The very first scene of the movie starts under the blue ocean and slowly surfaces above water. As the movie progresses, we understand why. It compares “the law of the ocean” and “the law of the humans” to make a pointed statement regarding illegal immigration. There are two types of people who come into the island ? tourists and illegal immigrants. The Mediterranean now holds a new meaning. Swimming among the bodies of the immigrants, the fish transform the scenery under the sea. Terraferma is the seamen’s shout, “Land!” and also their language of communication. The choice by the last person in the film is that of a courageous man. (RHEE, Soue-won)