Dreaming by Numbers

Black and white, BETA SP
Netherlands, 2005, 75 min
Section: Documentary Films in Competition

Synopsis

The gaming outlet known as ricevitorie is one of the many faces of Naples. These are essentially ordinary betting shops whose uniqueness lies in the betters’ method of selecting numbers. They are not chosen at random, but according to highly elaborate systems closely coupled with the Neapolitans’ drive to change their destiny. Take the ricevitorie operated by sisters Maria and Angela, which attracts customers who rely on numbers corresponding to the date a loved one died. Or there are those who bet on numbers which tally with a happy event in their lives, since they believe that luck is bound to come their way again. The most intriguing clients, however, are those who have their dreams interpreted according to some kind of numerological book of dreams related to the cabbala, and they then bet on the resulting numbers. This black-and-white film evokes the hidden charms of this secluded corner of the city beneath Vesuvius, and its daily visitors who, in an unassuming manner, briefly share their fascinating lives with us.

About the director

Anna Bucchetti (b. 1963, Milan, Italy) graduated from the Milan Film Academy (1991) having studied film photography. During the 1990s she attended several workshops, primarily focusing on screenwriting. She worked as a Director of Photography for various Italian production companies. She lives and works in Holland. Select filmography: With Love, Me (1994), Turkish Delight (1995), Through Our Own Eyes in Sarajevo (1996), Endless Start (1997), Solid (1998), Female Revolutionaries (2000), An Italian Story (2002).