Italian director back at SIFF with tale of female murderer's life after prison

Italian director Vito Palmieri is attending the Shanghai International Film Festival again after eight years with his new movie "Her Second Life," a candidate for the top honor.

His debut film, "See you in Texas" won the Audience Grand Prix at the festival in 2016.

In the new movie, 33-year-old Anna has already served 15 years in prison for the murder of her twin.

When it happened, she was barely of age. Although she has now served her sentence, her conviction lives on beyond the verdict, both in her own eyes and in those of other people.

She cannot even find the strength to see her mother again, so she runs away to a small Tuscan town, where she gets a job as a librarian.

Palmieri said he used to have the opportunity to converse with many of the inmates in the prison of Bologna, Italy.

"Many of the prisoners expressed to me their desire to start a new life after being released, but at the same time, they were afraid of facing unfair treatment and judgment from others in society after their release," he said.

As for why he chose a female character, he believed that a woman's role in society is such that if she has spent a long time in prison and then has to re-establish herself and create a new life in society, it is more challenging than for a man.

He wanted to convey the idea to the public that it is possible for everyone to restart their life.