TWICE BORN
Italy, 2012, 127 minutes, Colour.
Penelope Cruz, Emile Hirsch, Adrian Haskovic, Saadet Aksoy, Pietro Castellitto, Jane Birkin, Sergio Castellitto.
Directed by Sergio Castellitto
Twice Born is a complex film about war in the Balkans in the 1990s.
The screenplay was written by Margarita Mazzantini and Sergio Castellitto, her husband, who directed the film as well is appearing as Penelope Cruz’s husband.
The film moves from the 1990s to 2010 in Italy.
Penelope Cruz plays Gemma, a young Italian woman going to the Balkans for research, meeting a group of art and performing types before the outbreak of the war. She is a good friend of one of them, Gojcos, Adrian Hascovic, who introduces her to an American photographer, Diego, played by Emile Hirsch. They are attracted, but she returns to Italy, is married, then divorces, with Diego coming to Italy, with the approval of her father, and they are in love. She becomes pregnant, loses the child, learns that she is sterile, a traumatic feeling, and the couple approach an agent, played by Jane Birkin, about adoption. Because Diego has a criminal career and history of drugs, they are refused. He returns to the Balkans and she follows, their choosing one of the artistic colony to be a surrogate mother for their child.
In the 2010 sequences, Gemma is seen with her son, Pietro (Pietro Castellitto, son of the director), the return of the friend from the Balkans, and their going to an exhibition of Diego’s photos.
When Gemma returns to the Balkan she finds that the surrogate mother is still alive, married to Gojcos. Gemma is afraid but the woman wants to glimpse her son – there is some kind of meeting of minds, the surrogate mother explaining Diego’s death. And the audience is left to wonder whether Pietro understands that he has two mothers.
1. A Balkan story, the Balkan wars of the 1990s? Suffering? War correspondents and photographers? The Italian sequences in the 21st-century?
2. Bosnia, the countryside, Sarajevo, the vistas of the city, in peace before the war, the war and the ravages? Postwar and rebuilding? The contrast with Italy, peace, Rome, apartments and streets? Rome in the 21st-century, the photo gallery? The musical score?
3. The title, in reference to Pietro? To Gemma, Diego, Aska? Pietro growing up – and having to mothers?
4. The different times, the into cutting, the 21st-century story, Gemma and her husband, his role in the police, his knowing her story, bringing Pietro? Pietro and his visit? Gojco arriving, being alive, the meeting, the visit to the gallery, the invitation for them to return to Sarajevo?
5. Before the war, Gemma, Italian, going to the Balkans for research, language? Meeting Gojco, young with bravado, the travel and his taunting her in his vehicle, getting out on the bridge? The bonding? Introducing her to the commune, himself as a poet, the musicians, the arts? Their isolation, not ready for war? The impact of the war on them and their being involved?
6. Diego, with the group, the introduction to Gemma, the attraction, their sharing so much together, the bonding, love? Diego, his character, his past, the harshness in the family, his difficulties, his drug experience, the police record? The later effect of this in the interview with the adoption agency, the agent and her sympathy, but his record against him and not being able to adopt?
7. Gemma, going back to Rome, her wedding, bond with her father, her husband’s music, the distance, the divorce? Diego arriving, on the bike, bonding with her father, the time together, sharing, proposal, in love, pregnancy, the miscarriage and the experience and its effect, her depression, going to the gynaecologist, the tests, the announcing of her sterility? Having to cope while wanting to be pregnant? The effect, acceptance, the attempted adoption, the sympathetic interviews, their capacities for adoption – but the refusal?
8. The return to Sarajevo, the war, activities, seeing the suffering, Sebina’s mother and her giving birth, the soldiers and their violence, the artist wheeling his father and defying the snipers but being shot? Symbolic of the wall?
9. Gemma and her choice, discussions with Diego, possibilities for surrogacy? Aksa, the choice, Aska as a musician, checking on her, agreement on the deal? The effect on Diego, his initial reluctance, arranging the encounters, sexuality, pregnancy, the changes Aksa? In Diego? The birth, his assistance, giving the baby to Gemma, her holding the baby? Going back to Rome and bringing her son up?
10. Diego, his return to the war, its effect on him, in danger, the photos? News of his death? Aksa’a later relating the death, the flashbacks, his standing on the cliff, his death?
11. 21st-century, the exhibition of war photographs, the effect on Gemma, for Gojcos, for Pietro – and his hesitation and acknowledging Diego as his father?
12. Gemma and Pietro, going to Sarajevo, her husband a green? The meeting, Gojcos and Aksa, her survival, Gemma’s realisations, fears of losing her son? Aksa wanting to see him? Gemma’s reactions, listening to the story of Diego and his death, relenting?
13. Aksa, watching her son, tenderness?
14. The farewell, Pietro and his two mothers, realisation or not? And some resolution for the dramatic issues of war, love, pregnancy and stillbirth, surrogacy?
