1997. Linda is eight years old and only has a few teeth. She has a very rich grandmother and a beautiful carefree mother who is more of a friend than an authority figure. A friend who is occasionally too childish, a friend who Linda must constantly care for despite her tender age. Yet another of Eva's whims forces Linda to pack her bags and leave her grandmother's villa in Switzerland for Ferrara, which they'll drive to in her luxurious sports car. Two young sisters, Azzurra, aged 10, and Marta, aged 9 live in a small provincial town on the banks of the river Po. The eldest has an exuberant temperament and is always chewing gum. Whereas the youngest is more introverted and thoughtful, taking note of every new word she learns in a little diary that's always by her side. The sisters sneak out of the house one summer night only to narrowly avoid being run over by Eva and Linda. This is how the three little girls get to know each other and become a trio. They become The Mosquitoes, and together they claim the right to remain young and enjoy their childhood in a world of adults weary of their parental responsibilities. Adults like Eva, who doesn't read her daughter fairy tales and prefers spending time with her obnoxious friends. Men who can't tolerate Linda, often mistreating her and driving her from a home where drugs are taken increasingly often. Adults like Azzurra and Marta's father, who never speaks and only appears for dinner. Adults like their mother, who dreams of becoming a doll- maker, but not dolls for little girls, no, refined puppets handcrafted in her workshop. Her works seem to interest her far more than her own daughters. Adults like the neighbor, a woman who talks too much and seems to be a bit too well informed about everyone. Adults like Carlino, the girls' baby-sitter, a queer man seeking a sense of belonging in the wrong place, where he is only accepted so bigots can avoid their guilty consciences. It's in this context that the three girls make their way, discovering dangerous and creepy places like the club or the suburbs streets, finding their way home late at night, and exploring the library in search of a spell that might help them find an adult capable of caring for them. Set in a middle-class neighborhood where everything is public, between nosy neighbors, mosquito bites, and dog droppings that conceal secrets, this is a coming-of-age story about the right to remain young for as long as long as childhood permits. A comedy about girls with skinned knees and bruised hearts.
