a feature-length drama, based on the short film screenplay “White Widow”.

Writer: Angelo Salamanca
Script and Story Consultant: Lella Cariddi

Synopsis

A Woman Apart is the remarkable story of LUCIA, a feisty 17-year-old woman from Sicily. For her family’s economic salvation, she is coerced by her mother, LENA, into a proxy marriage with NINO – a shoemaker who has emigrated to Australia.
 
The uncompromising story traces Lucia’s turbulent journey to Australia, where within a loveless dysfunctional marriage, she gives birth to 2 children. Over the ensuing 10 years of domestic solitude, she slides into depression. When the situation becomes intolerable, she delegates the care of her beloved children to her trusted friend JOSIE, from whom she also borrows money to return to Sicily.

There, she tries to rekindle a passionate affair with the love of her youth, DOMENICO, who’s now married. Her efforts, however, are sabotaged by her brother, PASQUALINO, who harbours incestuous feelings towards her. When Pasqualino’s attempt at killing Domenico goes awry, Lucia finds herself having to avenge her brother’s murder at the hands of her ex-lover.

With her mother now also dead, and ostracised by her in-laws, Lucia thinks that her luck has changed when, Pasqualino’s boss CESARE, offers her a job. Using the camera that Pasqualino had given her as a gift, she becomes Cesare’s and accomplice by photographing his targeted victims. Lucia ensures that among those on the hit-list is Salvatore. Once she has avenged Pasqualino’s murder, Lucia’s interest in her photographic assignments wanes but agrees to work for Cesare in his photo shop which doubles up as a money-laundering front.

Lucia’s journey enters a final phase when she is tricked by Nino into returning to Australia after he lies about their son being hurt in an accident. But Cesare insists she knows too much and forbids her from leaving. A struggle ensues but Lucia flees after accidentally blinding him in one eye.

Back in Australia Nino uses emotional blackmail to get to go back to him. Lucia, however, will not be bribed.

Cesare, hell-bent on claiming his pound of flesh, follows his mistress to Australia. Wielding a gun, he threatens to kill her children if she doesn’t return to Sicily with him. Lucia uses all the survival skills she’s garnered over the years as “a woman apart” to ensure that her freedom remains intact and that her children are safe.