THE SOUTH IS NOTHING/ IL SUD E NIENTE

Italy, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Miriam Karlkvist, Vinicio Marchetti.
Directed by Fabio Mollo.

The title is rather pessimistic – and so is the film.

The city is Sicily, the town of Catania. The focus of attention is on a teenager, rather androgynous in look and manner, who is eventually revealed as a girl. She lives alone with her widower father, upset that her older brother had disappeared five years earlier. She keeps looking for him, sometimes thinking that she sees him.

Her father is getting rather desperate and the Mafia is interested in buying his fish market store. He does not tell his daughter but wants her to pass exams so that they can move away from Catania to go to Turin.

There are a number of clashes between father and daughter, but her grandmother is there for love and support.

A mixture of realism and magic realism.

1. A story of Catania? The realism? Magical realism? Grim?

2. The title, the Italian, the people, opportunities and lack of opportunities? Considering themselves as nothing?

3. The locations, the city, the cityscapes, the water, homes, the beach, the shops? The fairground? The musical score?

4. Grazi’as story? Age, appearance, the audience thinking she was a boy? Androgynous? Not hearing her name until the middle of the film? Yet the talk about her? In the water, looking in the mirror, her shirt, her body? Relationship with her father, opening the shop, serving the customers? Her anger, walking away? Memories of her brother, the boat with his name on it? Her father being stern? Her mother dead? The scenes with her grandmother, nice, supportive? At school, the friendship with the boy, taking the exams? The two together? The revelation of her being a girl? Her moods, search for her brother, the exhilaration of the dance with the boy? The teachers commenting on her results? Defending her father? Her seeing her brother, her friend taking her to find him? Her father and his selling the shop? Her outburst, wanting the truth? In the water? The boat? Her brother’s visits? Real or unreal? Her father explaining that he was dead, that he was shot five years earlier? The grandmother saying that if he appeared he wanted to communicate something? Perhaps, the reassurance for Grazia?

5. Her father, his age, the shop, customers, relatives living in Turin, the possibility of going there for a better life? His wife dying? His son being shot? bringing up Grazia? Strong about her exams and study? The shop, the Mafia wanting to buy at, his friend’s visits, the advice? Selling the fish? No deliveries, the phone calls? Coping with Grazia? His relationship with his mother, kissing her, talking? Going to the woman, the deal for selling the shop? The friendship from the woman across the street, the attraction? Grazia demanding the truth?

6. The grandmother, nice, waiting outside the church for Pietro? Supportive? The end?

7. Pietro, the mystery, bringing up Grazia, Grazia and her memories and voice-over of the stories about him? His death? Alive – or visitations?

8. The grim story, the possibilities for hope? Is it true that the south is nothing? That people would have to move for any better life?