Matteo Garrone is one of the talented young Italian directors whose films take their inspiration from real events and whose work consistently exhibits the immediacy of life lived in and around contemporary Rome. Cleverly mixing documentary and fiction, Garrone's films inhabit a no-man's-land, raising questions about authenticity and believability—much like his characters, who seem to be looking from the outside in and who often seem too real to fit within the confines of the screen. The filmmaker takes an interest in people ill equipped for a society that is affluent yet lacks empathy and compassion. The actors' delicate performances and the spiritual space that Garrone creates with his beautifully composed images bring to life the Roman prostitutes, illegal immigrants, and other outsiders, illuminating their quotidian struggles and dreams, and unveiling the texture of modern society in all its multifaceted splendor and misery.