Etna

A Lifetime of silence
Under Sicily’s golden sun, the weight of the past erupts like a long-dormant volcano. For decades, 94-year-old rose grower Sinna Perho has carried painful childhood memories, waiting to share her story. Through correspondence with her great-niece and namesake, documentary director Sinna Virtanen, a long-silenced past unfolds, revealing childhood experiences of systematic sexual abuse and violence.

As long-buried feelings of shame and anger come to the surface, Mount Etna becomes a powerful symbol of emotions suppressed for decades. The puppets Perho has made over the years also take on a new role, helping her explore and express painful memories through puppetry.

Known primarily for her work as a theatre director and playwright, Virtanen makes her documentary debut with Etna, a sensitive and visually striking exploration of healing from trauma. Unfolding at a gentle, unhurried pace, the film is a tribute to the healing power of nature and the comfort found in sharing painful experiences.