Following the course of an imaginary river flowing from the Dolomites to the Venetian lagoon, the film accompanies performer Maria Roveran through springs, waterfalls, caves, and resurgence waters in search of the voice of the anguane, half-woman, half-animal creatures from Venetian folk tradition, guardians of the waters and protagonists of an oral heritage that is now almost forgotten. Vocal trills and improvisations alternate with the voices of biologists, speleologists, and activists, who reveal the fragility of these places, increasingly threatened by pollution and land consumption. Blending myth, scientific research, and musical creation, Anguane, le voci dell’acqua is the new chapter in Giovanni Pellegrini’s cinematic exploration of the waters of Veneto Region, begun with La città delle sirene and Lagunaria. The film proposes a new way of listening to the landscape, where popular imagination and contemporary knowledge enter into dialogue to explore our relationship with water and the natural world.

Giovanni Pellegrini is a Venetian director, cinematographer, and producer. His documentaries have been screened and received awards at international festivals, including the Locarno Film Festival and Venice’s Giornate degli Autori.