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A nomadic woman with no children of her own becomes the temporary guardian of a young child in this neorealistic drama from filmmakers Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel. Patty (Patrizia Gerardi) is a 50-year-old woman who works with a traveling carnival and lives in a trailer with her husband (Walter Saabel) and Tairo (Tairo Caroli), a 13-year-old they informally adopted after his folks abandoned him. One morning, Patty is looking for a lost dog when she finds Asia (Asia Crippa), a two-year-old girl who has been left behind by her mother with a note saying the child's parents will be back for her eventually. Not wanting to leave the youngster on her own, Patty brings Asia into her trailer and they hit the road, looking for the child's mother in between shows. While Patty and her husband try to decide what they should do about the new addition to the touring party, Asia becomes increasingly fond of Patty and her adventurous new life and doesn't want to go home. La Pivellina was screened as part of the Directors Fortnight program at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.