In the Vucciria, the heart of Palermo’s historic old city, strains of quintessentially Italian traditional music drift into a dressmaker’s workshop. As she sews in time, creating a mysterious collection of traditional puppet costumes, the square below comes alive with music and dancing.

The city of Palermo is at the heart of this hypnotic short by Palestinian actor-director Hiam Abbass, part of Miu Miu Women’s Tales series. Letting the history of the place meet with the fast-paced rhythms of the present day, the film is also an observation on the power music can have on clothing.