Italian xenophobia emerges in Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
Can an elevator represent the paradigm of relationships between people in a society of mixed different ethnicities, religion and classes? Yes, if those people live in one of the historic buildings of Rome’s Piazza Vittorio, in the heart of the capital’s most multi-ethnic neighbourhood.
Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the debut feature of Isotta Toso, who worked as assistant director on Davide Marengo’s Night Bus [+see also:
trailer
film profile], is precisely about the clashes between neighbours of varying nationalities and social and cultural extraction, whose relative levels of intolerance inevitably emerge there where their co-existence is most forced: the elevator.
The film, based on the eponymous novel by Algerian writer Amara Lakhous, features a cast of local stars: Kasia Smutniak, Daniele Liotti, Isa Danieli, Serra Yilmaz, Milena Vukotic, Roberto Citran and Francesco Pannofino, all of whom are struggling with their personal frustrations and their vision of the “other”.
"I don’t think xenophobia really exists in Italy,” says the director. "We are simply at the beginning of an integration process that other countries have already been through". "I have been very fortunate here and have never had any problems,” added Polish actress Smutniak, "but there are few laws and bureaucracy is slow ".
Turkish actress Serra Yilmaz, a regular collaborator of Ferzan Ozpetek’s, also spoke of her experience: "The perception that people have of a foreigner is also based on class. It’s one thing if you’re an actress, another if you work in the vegetable market. Being a foreigner is not what counts in and of itself, but what you do".
The debate that followed the film’s press screening was an interesting one, animated by foreigners in Italy (the cast also includes Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafiene and Puerto Rican actress Kesia Elwin), which could have enhanced the film itself. Instead, the story is held back by chronically weak dialogues that are at times unintentionally comical. Of note, however, is the great score, composed by Gabriele Coen and Mario Rivera.
Co-produced by Maura Vespini and Sandro Silvestri for Emme with RAI Cinema, Clash of Civilizations is being released domestically May 14 on a dozen or so prints by Bolero Film.
(Translated from Italian)
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