THE FINDING is a film created entirely with AI: no live-action footage was shot, no traditional production took place, and the music was also generated with AI.

In rural Sicily, the discovery of a hidden treasure awakens an old bargain between faith, superstition and the Devil, turning a forgotten folk belief into a dark, vaguely miraculous western.

Somewhere in the Sicilian countryside, an old belief begins to surface again: a *trovatura* — “the finding” — a hidden treasure that is never simply found. According to Sicilian folklore, it may be guarded by supernatural beings, sometimes described as Devils or *Mercanti*, and whatever protects the treasure may demand something in return.

From this premise, THE FINDING develops as a small folk tale about faith, superstition, grief, sacrifice and greed. The story moves through rural roads, an isolated church, ex votos, Catholic devotional imagery and western archetypes, gradually blurring the boundary between local folklore and something that may actually be happening.

I wanted the film to feel as if a Sicilian popular legend had somehow become a B-movie western: sincere in its emotions, slightly absurd in its mythology, religious without being devotional, and dark without ever completely losing its sense of irony.

The entire film was built through an AI-driven production process, from the creation of its images and performances to its moving shots, environments and original music. There is no filmed material underneath it: every frame was created specifically for this story.