"Turn-of-the-century emigration to America was not only a defining moment in world history but has remained a nostalgic subject for filmmakers wishing to convey the period's aspirations and "golden door" of opportunity. The romantic and luminous imagery of Ellis Island and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II (1974) and Gianni Amelio's Lamerica (1994) are high points in the cinematic lexicon to which writer-director Emmanuel Crialese (with the help of ace cinematographer Agnés Godard) offers his own contribution. A peasant Sicilian family - the Mancusos - embarks on the difficult journey, both to the New World and to modernity, leaving behind their treasured land, possessions, and ancient mountain lifestyle in the hopes of securing a better tomorrow in a land purportedly flowing with milk and honey. Their sea voyage is a series of unending trials - poor weather, cramped quarters, and little privacy - that, even if successful, merely promises cold-hearted bureaucracy and an uncertain future before they can fully access the New World. But Crialese effectively conveys the hopes and dreams that sustain his characters, incorporating richly imaginative fantasy sequences underscoring the faith and dedication common to the thousands of individual stories from this transformative time." -PSIFF 2007