TERRAFERMA directed by Emanuele Crialese (Italy, 2011)
The week-long Piazze di Cinema at Cesena did not have a specific theme but each of the five movies I saw in an open air setting can be connected by the way individuals are pitched against inflexible pillars of authority.
In each case, the police and legal bodies are shown to be guilty of a narrow-minded and unenlightened attitude towards those who find themselves in need of support and understanding.
In Terraferma, set on an island of Sicily, the local community have to face the fact that the fishing industry can no longer be relied upon as a reliable source of income. The younger generation look to tourism as a new business opportunity.
But other visitors in the form of illegal immigrants pose another challenge to the traditional way of life. Boatloads of Africans risk their lives as they flee their own countries. Continue reading
