Giuseppe M. Gaudino made his directorial debut with this experimental film portrait contrasting the ancient Roman empire with poverty in present-day Naples. The film's narrator introduces the ancient town of Pozzuloi, home to Nero, his mother Agrippina, the Sibyl of Cumae, and Christian martyr Artema. This historical drama is intertwined with a modern-day story of a poverty-stricken family, forced by earthquakes during the '70s to move to the country, a devastating blow to the close-knit family. After a 1997 Venice Film Festival screening at 125 minutes, the filmmakers announced their plans to re-edit to a shorter running time. Also known as Moonspins Between Land and Sea.

In a Roman suburb, 14-year-old Martina, a child prostitute, navigates life with her father’s unacknowledged paternity, her mother’s profession, and a younger sister. She forms bonds with a slightly older boy, Sciu, and a fellow petty criminal. However, their lives take a turn when a young police officer becomes interested in protecting them from her superiors. When Martina refuses to become a police informant, tensions escalate, threatening to disrupt their fragile alliance.