RAI FICTION
PRODUCTION OF PICOMEDIA
IN COLLABORATION WITH RAI FICTION
IN COLLABORATION WITH TALI IMAGES
ITALY MINISTRY OF CULTURE
ASSOCIATION OF CINEMA AND AUDIOVISUAL ARTS
These facts
clearly defined
the position of our party.
Despite our policies,
global Jewish community
For 16 years now he has been an implacable enemy of fascism...
Dear Ida.
Since you are reading this, I am already far away.
Dark times are coming.
People are being killed.
The world has always hated Jews.
Now everyone is saying
that they do not have the right to teach, work, study and live.
Jews are kept in special places
like animals.
I'm retired now, I have no students,
and you and Nino are already far away.
What should I do here?
I'd like to check out.
I'm leaving.
I'm afraid that they will start persecuting us too.
It's unavoidable.
And I say "us"
because it's time for you to know our secret, Ida.
You are Jewish.
As I.
I hid it,
but now I'm calm.
After all, I baptised you, and this will save you and Nino.
- Do you know her? - No.
Last night she wanted to eat in my boat.
She behaved like crazy.
She screamed that she wanted to escape to Palestine.
Exactly, she told me the same thing.
That I wanted to sail to Palestine on my boat.
Go away!
Go!
LA STORIA Episode 1
JASMINE TRINCA
FRANCESCO ZENGA, MATTIA BASCIANI
LORENZO ZURZOLO
AND VALERIO MASTANDREA
- Good afternoon, Signora Ramundo! - Good, Signor Remo.
ROME, 1938
- Did you oversleep for work? - No, no, I took time off from work.
Need to run errands.
Listen. I didn't want to tell you
but Nino borrowed three sandwiches and meat from me.
- When? - I wrote everything down, don’t worry.
Pay later.
Tell me honestly. Did he skip school?
You know, here you don’t have to think about school, but about his new friends.
What friends?
The young fascists with whom he goes everywhere, shouting
things he doesn’t understand.
- What can I do? - Yes, we need to flog him.
The boy is growing up without a father, a couple of beatings definitely won’t hurt him.
To me? Flog Nino?
If you allow me, I'll whip him myself.
OK. Don't sell him anything else for now.
How so? Nino is also a cunning guy.
Makes me terribly angry, but he's a good guy.
He always lies to everyone, even to me.
- I'll bring the money on the way back. - Take your time. He's at the mechanic now.
Tell him off, and then I’ll join in.
- Thank you. - My pleasure!
Then your mother came.
Don't you go to school?
And my son must study!
Auntie, what do we have to do with this?
Scold him.
Enough with your school already. Don't you see what's happening?
I see! You will be expelled.
Mum, the Führer has entered Austria!
Ours now have colonies, and soon we will take over the whole world!
And what should I do at school?
- I'm ready! - Are you ready for what?
What are you talking about? Well, let's go to school!
What are you doing? If I go there now, the teacher will get mad.
That's why you're not at school?
Be careful there, otherwise you will be expelled.
Shame on you for putting things into a boy’s head that
you yourself don’t understand!
- Mum, don't embarrass me in front of my friends. - Yes, I have to run errands.
I'll wait for you at home and we'll talk there.
Yes, mother!
This is your mum!
Excuse me, where is the census of Jews?
Next!
- Hello. - Your documents.
Here's the certificate...
...and a statement.
Ida Ramundo, widow of Mancuso,
daughter of Giuseppe Ramundo and Nora Almagia.
Primary school teacher.
Address: Piazza Degli Equi, 30.
There is a son, Antonio Mancuso, 16 years old.
How to spell: "Almajea" or "Almagia"?
"Almagia".
My mother was Jewish
but she baptised me. Means,
I'm not Jewish?
Next!
- Hello, Signora Ramundo. - Good afternoon. Hello Elvira.
Hello!
- What, you too...? - No.
I came to inquire about my relative from Calabria.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye.
"...what you experienced and what your parents said,
when the Duce thundered:
"Declaration of war..."
"...has already been handed over to Great Britain"!
Schirinzi, that's enough. Britain has no hands.
It’s okay, we’ll defeat her soon too!
Come on, be quiet!
"Declaration of War
has already been handed over to the ambassadors..."
further with a capital letter,
"…Great Britain".
In fascist Italy, even children are warriors.
We are Balilla, musketeers of the bold flower regime.
We proudly bear the medal of our Duce on our chest...
Enough!
You are a disgrace to fascist youth,
I won’t take you like that to Mussolini!
It wasn't enough to embarrass myself!
Well, let's start from the beginning!
Sing better!
One, two, three - and!
We are his Balilla,
we are the spark of love,
which once arose in his heart.
The leader of our Balilla, the stronghold of our faith,
There is nothing dearer to us than your name.
ROME, 1940
It's beautiful here.
- We only have two days. - Really? It seems there were more, three.
Well, fine.
It’s true that the city is beautiful here,
and girls.
What's that noise?
What is this?
"The Duce wanted war, and he got it.
France hasn't done anything to you.
Stop!
If you stop, France will stop."
- Good afternoon. - Good-day.
Where are you from?
From San Lorenzo, I'm here for work. I teach at Testaccio.
- The path is not short. - Yes.
Come here, I'm cheap. Are you Jewish too?
- By mother. - So she's Jewish.
- Two apples for a lira, okay? - It's coming.
- Hello! - Hello!
- Give us better fruit. - But of course! Bullseye?
It’s not Mussolini’s fault that our Albertino’s fruit is rotten.
Find at least one rotten one!
And what? They were lying in the sun!
- All that was needed was a crazy person. - Whom? Wilma? Yes, she's normal.
She's delusional.
I don’t want to listen to her stories, they give me goosebumps.
Hello Wilma!
She appeared.
- They write the truth in the leaflets. - Albertino, I would like some chicory.
- At least take it all. - How much do I have to pay?
- Listen! - Don’t do it again!
You're exaggerating.
You think I'm crazy because
I know things you don't want to hear.
I work for Signora Fortichiari,
and she listens to banned foreign radio.
Do they tell the truth there? Well, yes.
They want you to tell everyone these horrors.
- They decided to intimidate us! - Please believe me!
Believe me!
On foreign radio they say every day,
that Jews are beaten, that they disappear somewhere at night!
And boom!
Why are rich Jews fleeing Europe?
Explain why?
There are blacklists!
And even Christians must prove the presence
of Aryan blood up to the fourth generation!
- Okay, that’s it, I’m going home, bye everyone! - Right!
Save the Children!
I have no one, let them kill me! But you!
The Nazis will slaughter us all!
This is a lie!
They are intimidating us into leaving and they will take our houses and shops!
No, Celeste, this is not a lie.
Lies! A complete lie! Enough, Wilma, enough!
Celeste, it's true!
I am not lying!
In what sense "up to the fourth generation"?
They're doing the counting
Everything is scientific there.
They check back to their great-grandfathers.
If he has Aryan blood, this is marked with a plus sign.
And if there is a Jewish one, then they put a minus.
And to be saved,
you need two thirds...
...were Aryan.
If there is
at least a third
Jewish blood
they will take you away.
Run!
Don't waste time!
Go away, run!
We don't know when this will happen!
But it will happen!
They will come!
Run,
run!
Go away!
This one or more?
Wine please.
- Wine! - Please.
More!
More! More!
Lyra fifty, thank you.
I'm looking for a house with women.
Brothel.
One lira fifty. Lira fifty.
Brothel.
Understand? Where's the brothel?
- Brothel? - Yes, a brothel!
A litre is four liras, three glasses are one and a half.
Thank you. It's too much.
Where is the brothel?
- Please leave. - How dare you!
Bastard!
We are allies.
- Hold it. - Thank you.
- Throw away the glass. - Understood.
Signorina!
Don't be afraid, I won't do anything.
I want to help.
Signorina!
I will help you. I will help.
Signorina!
My name is Gunther.
I have to leave tomorrow, but I don’t know where.
I'm baptised!
I also live away from my family.
From mother.
Mother.
No!
He died?
Give me love!
- Give me love! - No!
Ida,
darling!
Giuseppe!
Ida, daughter.
Come on, breathe.
Darling!
Breathe, breathe!
What happened to you?
Good.
I can fix it.
For memory.
For life.
- Nino, good night! - Bye!
Till tomorrow!
Heil Hitler!
Mother!
I'm coming!
- Mother! - Nino, now!
Open up!
I told you, it's time to give me the keys.
You're still too small for keys.
What are you doing, mum? I'm a young and strong Italian, look.
- What happened to you? - In terms of?
I'm tired, I want to sleep.
Is there anything to eat?
- I'm so hungry, I'm ready to eat you. - Wait, I'll give you a plate.
- What's here? - Stewed beef with potatoes.
I only see potatoes.
You don't need a plate, it doesn't fit much there.
- Where were you? - With friends, where else.
- With what friends? - With ordinary ones.
We are preparing to go at the first call of the Duce.
Crazy? Where to go?
You don't understand anything.
Go to sleep already, otherwise you won’t be able to stand on your feet.
Good afternoon.
- Remo? - What?
- Well, I would have asked politely! - Please.
Signora Ida, is everything okay?
- Yes, why? - Nothing.
- Fill the bottle for Raniero. - Fine.
But not to the brim!
Now…
To get milk, you need a prescription from a doctor.
This is for Nino. He's always hungry.
Hungry, yes! So I believed it.
Here, give it to him.
- Thank you. - My pleasure.
Just don't hang around with these idiots. He is no match for them.
- They are children. - No.
They are fascists.
- Now everyone is fascists. - But that’s not all!
- Thank you. - My pleasure.
- Raniero, am I recording you? - Yes, with a pencil.
Hands?
And your ears need to be washed. Go.
- When did you have lice? - I don't have lice anymore.
I see. Go to the place
Let's go.
Hands!
Salvucci, how pale you are! Are you eating well?
Tell your mum to buy you meat at least sometimes.
She can't.
I know, I can't either.
But you need to eat.
Tell me that I asked you to feed you meat, okay?
- OK. - Go.
Is this ink?
"Heroic...
army…
Italy...
brought..."
Be careful with the attachment.
"Brought..."
Annarumi! I see that you are cheating!
Let's go, children.
Is it ready there?
- Are you in a hurry? - I have to go.
- So late? - Everyone is coming, but why am I worse?
No more?
No more.
- Take mine. - What about you?
It's okay, I'm not hungry.
Nino, excuse me, son.
Tomorrow I'll buy some eggs and fry them with tomatoes, okay?
Don't worry, I'll take care of you now.
Nino!
Hey Nino!
- Nino! - Come out already!
Let me finish! I'll be down now!
- Look, lucky guy! - Faster, come on! Just don't choke!
- Are you going to them? - Well, yes and what? What's wrong with you?
If you're suddenly afraid that I'll wake you up, just give me the keys.
I won't give you any keys!
- Why? They've already given it to everyone! - Let's say I give them to you. And what?
Will I worry less? I won't!
You're driving me so crazy, honestly!
And you - me!
Say thank you for waiting for me.
Otherwise I would have taken them by force!
I'd rather throw myself out the window than give them to you!
- And jump! I don't care! What do you want? - What do I have to do with it?
Hello.
- Why are you so angry? People sleep here! - Well, go to bed!
- Nino, don’t upset your mother! - No words can be said!
- Nino! - Not a single word!
- You again? Let's leave already! - Again, again!
Here you go!
Next one please!
What do you want?
What is there? There is nothing.
It’s in the windows, but when you go in, he says there’s nothing.
Everything is fresh, signora.
Next!
These are British planes.
They are flying to Naples.
I'll go to work.
Don't be afraid, these are the British. What do you want, signora?
Come in!
Hurry, hurry!
Fernando, where are you going? Give me the glasses!
Calm down, I'll do everything, go.
That's what I knew. Come on, go!
Wow.
- Signora Ida, is everything okay? - Yes.
God bless.
- Cesare, what size are the shoes? - Forty-second.
Good ones!
Put out your cigarette. And if we all smoke here, what will happen?
- Oh, okay. - No, put out your cigarette or go out.
Put out the carcasses immediately!
- You turned pale. You feel bad? - No.
Come here. Run and play. And you sit down.
- Marcia! - What?
Bring a glass of water.
- Where is Nino? - I did not see.
- Why doesn’t he believe that we are at war? - Only his mother is here.
Holy simplicity.
Here, have a drink.
Hold it.
Unbutton your dress, it will be easier to breathe.
- I would like to lie down. - Of course, let me put it in.
Thank you.
Lie down.
Marcia.
Are there any eggs in the basement?
So you took them all into the house yesterday, did you forget?
- All? - Well, how long was it?
Okay, let's give her something else. Fernando!
Bring two glasses here.
In case someone else needs it.
Don't worry, nothing will happen. Rest and everything will pass.
- Bye, Remo! - Bye.
- Till tomorrow. Although it would be better not to. - That's for sure.
Is everyone out?
Is there no one else left?
I'll go have a look.
Let's all go out!
- Why didn’t you come? - Mum, why are you hiding?
Rome will not be bombed, everyone knows that.
We have the Vatican and the Pope here, the city is protected by installations.
There are so many cultural treasures here, no one will dare bomb us.
- Enough. I'm tired, let's go home. - No, I am leaving.
- I popped in to check on you. - Have you seen the time?
And what? Night is the time of those who want to live!
I will go.
Here you go.
- And you? - This is your bundle.
Thank you!
This doesn't mean you can come after midnight!
Enough!
Bye mum!
Signora says that the Germans have occupied all of Europe.
They kill people right at home, take them to the ghetto, behind the walls.
And if a person wants to leave, they shoot him.
- Again for yours! - Wilma, that's enough!
- Stop it! - Listen!
In the villages and forests of Poland there are dead people hanging on all the trees!
And men
and women
and children,
and even tiny babies!
And not only Jews!
More gypsies
communists,
Poles...
All!
And at all stations where trains run,
It’s not men who work with all their might on the tracks!
And not women!
And the skeletons that only have eyes left!
Enough, Wilma! Children are listening to you!
- What is she talking about? - Yes, nothing.
The cat lady is crazy, she comes here to scare us.
Have a good day.
Good-bye.
- Cesare, take the roll home. - I will.
Bring me the red one.
Son,
are you finished?
Enough, come here.
Hello. Signora Maria di Capua?
- Yes. - Midwife?
- Come on in. - Thank you.
Have a seat.
One of my relatives will soon need your help.
She asks if you can help her give birth?
Of course I can, this is my main job.
Send for me and I will come right away.
- Where she lives? - To San Lorenzo.
Can't we do it here?
- It’s possible, but she will be more comfortable at home. - You can't go home.
Okay, then tell me...
your relative
come as soon as contractions begin.
She's nervous.
Age.
- First-born? - No, the second one.
Then don't worry
there will be no complications.
- Thank you. - My pleasure.
- Good-bye. - Good-bye.
Say hello to your relative.
Thank you.
I’ll take the bread to Fernando now and come!
Wait a minute, mother of God!
Fernando!
- Hold it. - Thank you.
- Here's the milk. - I'm picking it up.
Prisca!
I want to come see you.
I need to go to the hospital with my aunt, come at five!
The milk has arrived.
Well, that's it, see you soon! Bye!
Mum, where have you been?
I went shopping, now I’ll cook something to eat.
No, I'm leaving for the parade soon.
- Why do you need to go there? - How so why?
Now I’ll call a policeman, let him arrest you for such words.
- Come on, take a risk. - I am not joking.
What happened to you?
What's happened?
- Nothing, my stomach was twisting.
- Belly? - Yes.
We need to heal, mum.
- How can I leave you alone? - Why leave me alone?
Friends invite me to go with them to the avant-garde camp.
- And you want to go? - Certainly!
But how can I leave you for the whole summer?
Don't worry about me, I'm glad you're going.
I'll pack some things for you.
Maybe they will come in handy, who knows.
Carefully!
That's great! I thought you'd be angry.
- Have you decided yet? - Certainly!
It’s not up to you to decide for me, Mum!
- Bye! - Bye, son.
- Hello. - Good afternoon.
Well, why are you so nervous?
Calm down.
What are you afraid of?
Don't be afraid, mum is with you.
Mother!
Signora, what's wrong with you?
Thank you.
Cinquecento - San Lorenzo
Signora di Capua! Help!
Signora!
Quietly, lean on me.
Breathe deeply! Breathe!
- What is your name? - Ida.
Ida.
Well done, Ida, breathe deeper,
lean on me. Lay down.
More more. And - once!
Breathe, Ida, breathe.
Lie down comfortably.
Well done. Well done.
Mother!
- Mother! - Mum is not here, but I am.
I will help you.
Breathe deeply, Ida, even deeper.
We're almost ready.
- Let's take off the dress. - No, don't!
- You have to, there’s no other way. - Please, no dress.
What are you hiding there?
Okay, I'll take it off by force.
Don't be afraid, trust me.
Slowly.
Don't worry.
Like this.
Well done.
Breathe, Ida, breathe as deeply as possible.
The baby is almost born.
I feel! I can already feel my head.
You could have given birth earlier.
Yes, Ida,
We'll give birth at the next contraction, okay?
- As soon as the contraction occurs, push. - No no…
Come on, be brave, don’t be afraid, Ida.
Still, push! Here it is, just a little more, push!
He really wants to be born!
Here it is, here it is, more, more!
Push, push, harder, harder!
That's all. All! All!
Wonderful boy.
Here he is. Go to mum.
Well done, Ida, smart girl!
Very handsome boy,
you are well done.
Take a little rest
and then we will bathe him.
He is healthy?
Healthier than everyone else, see for yourself.
Wonder boy!