Attention to the title means “our story.” Ours because the way it is designed affects us. And everyone who does not forget the horror of a war that killed millions of men, women and children simply because they were Jews. And from here the film begins in the summer of 1943 Claudio Bisio , taken from the book of the same name by Fabio Bartolomei (e/o editions). The protagonists are four children who “play” in war while the deafening noise of cannons and bombs, the real ones, can be heard all around. Italo (Vincenzo Sebastiani) is the son of the rich Federal, Cosimo (Alessio di Domenicantonio), his father is in exile, Vanda (Carlotta De Leonardis) is an orphan of both parents and lives in a monastery, then there is Riccardo, son of wealthy Jews . They have always been friends and made a pact: one for all, all for one, which they sealed, first with spit because they were afraid of blood, and then by shaking hands. A beautiful picture, but one day the Jewish boy is suddenly kidnapped from the ghetto by the Germans along with thousands of other people. It was October 16th and the silence of these moments made an incredible “noise”.
It touched your heart and your head and it seemed impossible to you that people were being put in a cattle car and taken away. But where? That’s what the boys ask themselves as they make an important decision: to escape with a camping tent and cans of food to look for Riccardo and bring him home. Agnese (Marianna Fontana), the nun of the monastery, and Vittorio (Federico Cesari), Italo’s brother, are desperately looking for them. It will be a long and exciting adventure full of emotions in which our boys will show courage, altruism and love. We won’t reveal anything more because the film is absolutely worth seeing. The film will be in cinemas from October 12th through Medusa’s distributor on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the raid on the Roman ghetto on October 16th, 1943. We add the message to Claudio Bisio from Senator Liliana Segre: “Dear Claudio, I really appreciated your film because you were able to convey the freshness and innocence of children with a character so sensitive that it hides the tragedy in the background.”
Bisio, was it difficult to portray the world that children see?
“It certainly wasn’t easy, but I found this book on which the film is based very interesting. I liked it straight away and this is where the third part of my artistic life began.”
The young actors in the film were perfect in their roles.
“Yes, they were able to give a little hope. The four children who played in wartime Rome in 1943 and pretended to kill each other with wooden guns deserve smiles and emotions. They say that on set I made sure they were working but also having fun. It was what I wanted.
What impressed you most about these small, “big” protagonists?
“The rigor, the involvement. But when it was time for halftime, they stressed that they needed to rest. “I said yes straight away, but they went to play football. But how, I asked myself? “So we rest,” they replied. It was great working together.
When reality manages to obscure the tragedy. The relationship between comedy and tragedy is also interesting. Why is this film important when there are other wars in the world that seem to have no end?
“Nevertheless, it is incredible that the book and script were written before the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Without knowing it, we were talking about what was continuing to happen in the world.”
He has a role in the film. And for the future?
“I was born an actor and played the role of the hierarch. I’ve done a lot of films, almost always comedies. In the future? I haven’t decided anything yet, but I like this job. As I read Bartolomei’s book, I smiled and cried. I asked myself: Can you tell horror without ever showing it? I believe