Among the large rooms of an old villa marked by time, Anna (Juliette Binoche) spends her days in solitude. The rugged and beautiful Sicilian countryside surrounding the house isolates her while the slowly rising fog prevents the eye seeing any distance. Only the footsteps of Pietro, the handyman, break the silence.

And all of a sudden Jeanne appears, a young woman who claims to be the girlfriend of Giuseppe, Anna’s son. He invited her to Sicily to spend a few days’ holiday together. The two women do not know each other. Anna did not even know of Jeanne’s existence. And Giuseppe is not there. Where has he gone?

Soon, very soon he will return, is what Anna says. The days pass, the two women slowly get to know each other, they learn to wait. Easter is coming, in the village the traditional procession is being prepared. Will Giuseppe return one night?

Premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival, L’Attesa (The Wait) is the first film by Piero Messina who sought Juliette Binoche for her unique ability to express grief with a look or the slightest gesture.