Jessye, a young and modern Chinese woman, is sent to a small village in southern Italy to investigate the touristic potential of the region. Through the villagers, Jessye gradually learns more about the local traditions, now threatened by her presence and the tourism industry.

Old is the New is an ingenious investigation into cultural identity that reveals the ambiguities and nuances that make up the borders between us—imaginary or otherwise—and the importance of the (threatened) values that define how we live in the world.