The Children's Train

 Here in Canada we have Italian stereotypes, not realizing like any other country they have regional differences.  What we are also conscious about is a mother's love for her children.  "The Children's Train" (2024 Il Treno dei Bambini) deals with both of these facts of life.

After World War II, 1946, south of Italy was poor and the subject of prejudice.  To help offset that, wealthy northerners offered"trains of happiness" to families in Naples.  Antonietta, a single mother politically active thought sending her son Amerigo up north to see a better life would be good.  Together with some other poor children Amerigo took the train to Modena.  There were adults waiting as foster parents.  

There was a pairing up process with children until at last only Amerigo was left.  Derna, an unmarried woman who had already said she did not want to participate found herself accepting Amerigo.  Both she and Amerigo tried to be distant.  She was politically active.

Amerigo soon found his Neapolitan dialogue and customs led to much ridicule.  Still he was a charming boy and made friends.  He and Derna became quite fond of one another.  A male friend got the attention of Amerigo through music and started to teach him how to play the violin.  Amerigo demonstrated some skill at learning and in response he was given an expensive violin to keep.  

After a few months the children were returned to their real parents.  The crux of the film is the response Amerigo got from his mother Antonietta.  There was a clash of cultures.  We see both Derna and Antonietta both loving Amerigo, but with different ideas (and abilities) to help him.  Jealousy and guilt were evident.  Sorry to say most viewers will be fighting the urge to cry as the film is concluded.

On a recent tour of Italy we made many stops from Milan to Sicily but only in Naples were we kept mostly in the bus with only a brief outside view from up high of the beautiful bay.  My in laws had originally migrated from the Naples area.  It had a reputation of pick pockets.  We were steered away from poor areas and I admit I liked what I saw.  Our tour guide from Pompeii lived in Naples and wanted us to see his town in a good light.  Although a poor city, the rest of the world had benefited from the inventions of pizza and Neapolitan ice cream.  I would also add some opera scores originated there.

a poor photo I took that nonetheless captures some of the beauty of Naples.

This film has attracted global attention.  It takes a lot of talented people and here are some of them. 

The idea came from a novel by Viola Ardone.  Viola was born in Naples.  The story was based on an actual "trains of happiness" in 1946.  The adventures of the characters were fictionalized.

Cristina Comencini was the director and a co-writer.  She graduated with a degree in economics.  Although from a film family she started as a novelist, but turned one of her novels into a film  She has continued to write novels and had at least one more turned to a movie.  She has 17 credits for writing and 18 for directing including "Don't Tell" (2006).

Nicola Serra was one of the producers.  He has 57 credits for producing including "The Life Ahead" (2020) and "Still Time" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/05/still-time.html

Italo Petriccione was the cinematographer with 59 cinematographer credits. 

Esmeralda Calbria was the editor.  She has 71 credits for editing, 3  for directing and 3 for producing.  

Laura Muccino was a casting director.  Casting children was critical to the success of the film.  She has 64 casting director, 2 for the casting department and 8 as assistant director including "The Past" (2013). 

Christian Cervone was the main star as Amerigo, the young boy torn between two mothers.  This was his first film, but likely he will seen again.

Serena Rossi, born in Naples played Antoniette, the real mother.  She started as a singer which led to performing in musicals and she was asked to dub in films such as "Frozen" (2013).  She has 41 Acting credits.

Barbara Ronchi plays Derna, the foster mother.  She started on stage and went on to acquire including 40 acting credits including "Still Time" (2022).

Stefano Accorsi played the adult Amerigo.  A television commercial for ice cream spoken Italo English made his popularity soar.  He had also been a jury member for the Venice Film Festival i 2003.  He has 74 acting credits, 2 for writing and 1 as director.

"The Children's Train" is currently available on Netflix in subtitled or dubbed format.  Make sure you kleenex nearby.

Still time

 Although science fiction is often depicted as unrealistic fantasies it sometimes is a vehicle to help us focus on reality.  Time is one of those "things" that we accept like the air.  It is there and so taken for granted that we don't realize how critical such things are.  We prioritize what we think is important which starts off with surviving and then moves to thriving. 

I would like to acknowledge the recommendation by Vijaykumar MK Nair for "Still Time" (2023), only the latest of many great suggestions.  The original Italian title could be interpreted as "it's about time."

One quote from the film attributed to the Dalai Lama "There are only two days in the year on which you can't do anything.  One is yesterday and the other is tomorrow."

We first encounter Dante on his 40th  birthday when he first encounters his future wife through a comic misunderstanding.  Within a short time he skips ahead to his next birthday.  Gradually we catch on the movie is just skipping his life except for his birthdays.  Everything that happened in between his birthdays is forgotten, buried in work, marital problems, a baby, and a new lover, his wife living with a trainer (the one with the Dali Lama quote) and a close friend with a life threatening disease.

Birthdays are a time of reflection. What happens between is his real life, but we are aware of life changing events.  There are a few hints that he is most focuses on his work and justifies it that it allows an acceptable standard of living shared with his wife and daughter.  But his "real" life is falling apart because of his priorities.  Can one change?  It takes some reflection which for many of us doesn't happen in time.  We all need to reflect on what we really want out of life and this film gives us a chance to reflect hopefully before it is too late.

It is always the cast and crew that make a film worth the effort.  Here are some of those responsible.

Alessandra Aronadio directed and wrote the script.  She has over 17 film credits and has won many national awards.  As a second assistant director she worked with Giuseppe Tornatore on "Malena" (2000).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/08/giuseppe-tornatore.html

Santi Pulvirenti composed the music.  He has 27 film credits.

Roberto Forza was the cinematographer.  He has 65 film credits.

Roberto Di Tanna was the editor.  He has 41 film credits.

Edoardo Leo played Dante the main protagonist.  He has 74 film credits including "To Rome with Love" (2012).. He also  has 12 writing credits and 9  directing credits. An award winner

Barbara Ronchi played Alice,  Dante's wife.  She has 31 film credits.

Mario Sgueglia played a close friend Valerio who undergoes a lot of physical changes.  He has 24 film credits.

Francesca Cavalin plays Francesca, Dante's secretary and later live in lover.  She has 28 credits.

Raz Degan played Omar, a lover for Alice and it was he who delivered the Dailai Lama quote.  He had served in the Israeli army.  After that he went on a traveling spree visiting 100 countries over two decades.  His first film was a cameo role in a Robert Altmann film in 1994.  He became popular in Italy through television commercials.  He had films in United States, Italy, France, India and Germany.  He has 17 film credits.  He also managed an art gallery in Italy.

Many of us need to re-learn to enjoy life.  We spend a lot of effort to make money to buy things including time to enjoy them, but we very often short change ourselves.  Using science fiction, this film reminds us there is more to life than work.  How I got lured back into science fiction and learned to appreciate it as a tool for better understanding.  How I changed my view of science fiction:    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/09/conversion-can-sneak-up-on-you-too.html  Available on Netflix in a dubbed or subtitled formats.