In an inaccessible location on the Italian territory, an old nineteenth-century jail is in the process of being vacated, when bureaucracy comes in the way. Together with a handful of officers, a dozen prisoners are left behind in a suspended bubble where rules get hazy, and new relationships form.

“The prison of Mortana does not exist in reality: it is an imaginary location that we built after visiting many prisons. In those places, we often found people ready to talk and tell their own stories. Some of those meetings were attended by guards, wardens and convicts at the same time. On those occasions, it was clear we were witnessing a certain friendliness in the air, as all of them were talking over each other, racing to be the first and tell their stories. “The Inner Cage” is not a film about the status of Italian prisons. It might be a film about the absurdity of prisons”. – Director’s notes