I´m Not Scared

Colour, 35 mm
Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, 2002, 110 min
Section: Horizons
Oficiální stránky: www.iononhopaura.it

Synopsis

It is 1978. The south Italian village of Acque Traverse is in the middle of a hot summer. While adults overcome by the oppressive heat keep indoors in the cool of their dilapidated houses, a handful of children run about in the rolling fields of golden corn. Their attention is drawn to a lonely, half-demolished house on a hill where, one afternoon, nine-year-old Michele discovers an old, dried-up well. What begins as an adventure turns out to be more dangerous than the boy’s fertile imagination had conceded. A terrible crime is committed in the deathly silence of this forgotten corner of the world. Michele is faced with the most important decision of his young life. How can he prevent the wrong-doing in which even those closest to him are involved? This latest film by Gabriele Salvatores, based on the novel of the same name by Niccolo Ammaniti, takes the form of a thriller whose story tells of the loss of a child’s innocence and his reluctant initiation into the world of adults. The film, screened in competition at this year’s Berlin IFF, was extremely well received, particularly for the superb performances from both child and adult actors.

About the director

Gabriele Salvatores (1950, Naples) has lived in Milan since his youth. After graduating from the Academy of Dramatic Arts, he co-founded the Teatro dell’Elfo in 1972 which became a popular venue for young theatre-goers. In 1981 he produced the rock musical A Midsummer Night’s Dream and turned it into a film the following year. He achieved his greatest success to date with the film Mediterraneo, which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Filmography: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sogno di una notte d’estate, 1983), Kamikazen-Ultima notte a Milano (1987), Marrakech Express (1989), Turnè, (1989), Mediterraneo (1991), Puerto Escondido (1992), Sud (1993), Nirvana (1996), Denti (2000), Amnèsia (2002), I´m Not Scared (Io non ho paura, 2002).