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:

As the film is mainly told from a child's point of view, director Gabriele Salvatores instructed his director of photography Italo Petriccione to shoot most of the film at a child's height.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michele is getting ready to leave Filippo after giving him the bread, the rope going into the hole disappears quickly for one shot and then reappears for the rest of the scene.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Liu'

What lies beneath

Having seen the trailer for the film, I was intrigued. If one doesn't catch an Italian film cycle, it's almost impossible to see a film from that country lately, even in a cosmopolitan city like New York. This film has just been released for a commercial run. Having seen "Mediterraneo" from the same director, Gabriele Salvatores, was another reason for taking a look at this movie.

The film depicts the horrors that Italy lived in the 70s with a wave of kidnappings. While a lot had political undertones, the fact remains that a lot of children were kidnapped for a ransom.

The idyllic way the film unfolds, with the children running freely in the wheat fields, is a sharp contrast of the mystery that is hidden, in a hole, by the abandoned house where they go to play. Michele, the boy at the center of the story, discovers the dark secret that will involve his own family and will end in a tragedy.

This is a story about friendship, loyalty and the realization of the ugliness behind what appears a serene, if poor, family life. Giuseppe Cristiano plays the young boy with conviction and makes us believe he is that boy presented in the story. It also speaks volumes how children interplay with others of their same age no matter whether they are rich, or poor.

The director is to be congratulated for dealing with the subject matter and making us care about a little boy that had the courage to save a life. We'll be looking forward other films from Mr. Salvatores, very soon.