Giuseppe Tornatore spins out this romantic, coming-of-age story about love, loss, and courage.
Set in 1941 in a tiny village named Castelcuto in Sicily, this film focuses on a group of 13-year-old boys who fall madly in love with Maléna (Monica Bellucci), the widow of a local soldier.
With her husband fighting away at war Malena becomes the focus of men's lustful thoughts, and their wives envious and hurtful gossip. Also she becomes the attraction of many a teenage boy's pubescent sexual dreams.
Following her everywhere on their bicycles, one of these boys is Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro) who becomes her secret stalker.
Things turn however when Malena is told the unfortunate news of her husbands death which leaves her totally reliant on herself for support and this just fuels the fire of jealousy already rife against her.
However it is Renato who helps her through and in the most unexpected ways!
Malena is a Film programme that first aired in 2000 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
