DOMANI (TOMORROW)
Italy, 2000, 105 minutes, Colour.
Marco Baliani, Valerio Mastandrea, Ornella Muti, James Purefoy, Anna Wilson-Jones?.
Directed by Francesca Archibugi.
Domani is a film set in the Umbrian countryside. It literally begins with an earth-shattering scene, an earthquake during the night. The film then shows what happens, tomorrow, when the residents of the town have to cope with the loss of their homes, repeated tremors, homelessness and lack of employment as well as trying to face a future.
The director has a very humane sensibility and all of the characters come alive. The deputy mayor and his wife with their two sons, two young girls who make a pact with each other for everlasting friendship - but then one is attracted to a young boy, the teacher at the school, the English fresco restorer with his wife who wants to conceive, the gay man with his ailing mother ... all the characters are given a humanity which involves the audience very strongly. It is a very moving film with the situation as well as the characters. The director's previous film, L'albero Delle Pere (Shooting the Moon) won the OCIC Award in Venice in 1998.
1. The Italian setting, the Umbrian countryside, the village? The impact of the earthquake and tremors? The response of the people and their plight?
2. The title, the focus on the aftermath of the earthquake? For the people - and whether their crises would have emerged without the earthquake?
3. The special effects for the quakes and the tremors, the location for the shattered village, the unstable homes and buildings, their being demolished? The temporary shelter? A feeling of authenticity? The musical score - and especially the film's theme running throughout?
4. The impact of the earthquake: the night, people hurrying out, bewilderment, loss of electricity, Italian crowds and their extroversion and fears? The aftermath and the authorities checking on the stability of the buildings? People not allowed to return to the city centre, their homes and possessions? The emergency assistance? The television interviewers - especially the Octopus - and coming into people's homes (and the Octopus being intrusive but finally, with the final tremor, telling the cameramen to shut down their machines)?
5. The deputy mayor, his strong stances, having to face losing his home, giving an example to people? His decision-making? His way with people? His wife and her support, her grief at losing the home, her later explanation of 18 years of devotion to him and the children at home? The two boys: the teenager and his rebelliousness, the young boy at school and his emotional crises? Losing their home, into the caravan, having to share the home with Giovanni and his mother? Clashes? A learning experience? The mother and her support of Giovanni - and Agostino's fears and anger with her?
6. The teacher, her ability with the children? The lessons, the protest to the government minister? Her living alone? The artist and his coming to stay with her, sharing understanding, emotional sharing? The future?
7. The artist and his restoration, the chance of a lifetime, his wife and her wanting to have a child? The ovulation method? His impotence? Their clash, the emotional outburst of the wife, wanting a child desperately, taking the pills? Her return to England? The young man and his Italian, his background, his work and skill? His moving in with the teacher? The return of his wife, her reaction to the teacher? Leaving again? His work, the collapse of the church, his being taken in the helicopter? His future?
8. Giovanni at the beginning of the film with Franco, the secrecy of his being gay? His being allotted to the deputy mayor and his family? The reaction, his mother and her cancer? Agostino stealing her purse? Coming to terms with the family? The sympathy from the wife, his explanation of his hopes, staying with his mother, her chemotherapy? His helping in the town, the interview with the Octopus about employment? His mother, her losing her mind, the effect of the surgery and chemotherapy? The 16-year-old befriending her, on the motorbike, his taking her home and giving her the shoes? The importance of the change for him? Giovanni going to Rome after her death?
9. Vale and Tina, their age, friendship, inseparable, the pact? Tina's mother and her art? Vale and her mother not taking any notice of her? The owner of the factory as Tina's father? Their running off together, spending the day, enjoying each other's company, the sequence of the French kissing, experimentation? Agostino and his friendship, Tina and her choosing to go with him? Vale and her upset, tears? The graffiti? The finale with her burning all the memories of Tina?
10. Agostino and the situation and his age, school, the girls, his disappointment with his mother and outburst, with the old lady, with the teacher? The Christmas concert and the aftermath in the church and the tremor?
11. The picture of the people in the town, coping, impatience, rallying round? The bar? The concert in the church? The further tremors?
12. A sense of humanity, in the Italian setting, more universally?
