Io non ho paura (2003)

Director:

Gabriele Salvatores

Writers:

Niccolò Ammaniti (novel)
Niccolò Ammaniti (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 March 2003 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Secrets. Betrayal. Murder.

Plot:

While playing outside one day, nine-year-old Michele discovers Filippo, who is chained to the ground at the bottom of a hole...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Chore | Dare | Rascal | Kidnapping

Awards:

8 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Giuseppe Cristiano	...	Michele
Mattia Di Pierro	...	Filippo
Adriana Conserva	...	Barbara
Fabio Tetta	...	Teschio
Giulia Matturo	...	Maria
Stefano Biase	...	Salvatore
Fabio Antonacci	...	Remo
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón	...	Anna
Dino Abbrescia	...	Pino
Giorgio Careccia	...	Felice
Antonella Stefanucci	...	Assunta
Riccardo Zinna	...	Pietro
Michele Vasca	...	Candela
Susi Sánchez	...	Filippo's mother (as Susy Sánchez)
Diego Abatantuono	...	Sergio

Also Known As:

I'm Not Scared (International: English title)
No tengo miedo (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing images and language.

Runtime:

108 min | Canada:101 min | Argentina:107 min

Country:

Italy | Spain | UK

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Italy:T | UK:15 | South Korea:12 | USA:TV-MA | Argentina:13 | Brazil:10 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:MA | Hong Kong:IIA

Filming Locations:

Apulia, Italy

Company:

Colorado Film Production

Trivia:

This film was loosely based on a true story of a kidnapped boy from Milan and the novella written about the incident.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michele's mother cleans blood from between his nose and lips, more blood is visible from his lips down onto his chin, but with the next shot, the blood on his chin is gone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Che gelida manina

Don't Be Scared, Watch It!

In a remote Italian village, a boy finds a little kid trapped inside a hole. The boy doesn't tell anyone about his discovery, and over a period of several days, he begins to feed the kid despite the fact that he does not know why the little one is in the hole. Director Salvatores plays with this intriguing scenario fascinatingly. It is an extraordinarily well-realized thriller, which often plays like a very dark fable. We (the viewer) see everything through the eyes of the young boy, so the viewer is forced to put 1 and 2 together - it is a film that trusts its audience's intelligence. Although it is an excellent thriller, one could argue that the movie is even better if it is seen as an examination of the Italian culture (according to the film, this is a rigid patriarchal society in which women have little value). Young actor Giuseppe Cristiano gives a wonderfully naturalistic performance. Italo Petriccione's camera work is simply extraordinary (make sure you watch the widescreen version of the film). But Salvatores, the man behind the Oscar-winning "Mediterraneo," deserves all the credit for this terrific film. Don't miss this one.