This is the story of a summer spent in the city, and the resulting days to be filled. It is also the story of a building, of community life, and the fortuitous connections between its residents. It is the story of a piano, a song, and of a 10-year old girl, Alice, who becomes responsible for taking care of this piano, as well of its owner’s apartment and her dog. It all starts with a casual neighbor encounter, when Alice’s mother meets Elsa in the hall, and asks her about the music she occasionally hears through the walls. When Elsa realizes Alice likes to play the piano, but has nowhere to practice, she offers the girl keys to her apartment, and invites her to use the piano when she is not home. One day, Elsa goes missing, and the mystery about what might have happened to her thickens, especially in Alice’s mind, as the girl’s curiosity, enhanced by the summer doldrums, feeds on each little clue. A quiet meditation on summer, the anonymity of big cities and the uncertainties of pre-adolescence, which marks Carmen Leroi’s debut at Curtas. (JA)