Welcome to the South (2010)

Overwhelmed by his wife, a postal worker from Northern Italy feigns disability to request a transfer to Milan. When he's unmasked, he is sent to a tiny village near Naples for two years. He... See full summary »

Director:

Luca Miniero

Writers:

Massimo Gaudioso (screenplay), Dany Boon (original screenplay)

Stars:

Claudio Bisio, Alessandro Siani, Angela Finocchiaro

8 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claudio Bisio	...	Alberto Colombo
Alessandro Siani	...	Mattia Volpe
Angela Finocchiaro	...	Silvia Colombo
Valentina Lodovini	...	Maria
Nando Paone	...	Costabile piccolo
Riccardo Zinna	...	Vigile urbano
Nunzia Schiano	...	Signora Volpe
Salvatore Misticone	...	Signor Scapece
Francesco Albanese	...	Centauro
Naike Rivelli	...	Poliziotta
Teco Celio	...	Gran Maestro
Giacomo Rizzo	...	Costabile grande
Clara Bindi
Fulvio Falzarano	...	Mario
Fabio Farronato

Storyline

Overwhelmed by his wife, a postal worker from Northern Italy feigns disability to request a transfer to Milan. When he's unmasked, he is sent to a tiny village near Naples for two years. He moves there alone, scared and full of the typical prejudice about the south. But he meets lovely people who quickly make him feel at home. Now the challenge is to explain this to his wife, so he chooses to make her believe that his life is hell. A remake of the French film "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis."

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Genres:

Comedy

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Dany Boon, director and actor in the original french version, appear in a cameo as a french tourists in the post office.

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Crazy Credits

The first section of credits has posed shots of the minor characters on the left side of the screen.

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Connections

References Special Collector's Edition: Matilda (2011)

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Soundtracks

Lili Kangy
Written by Salvatore Gambardella (as Gambardella) and Giovanni Capurro (as Capuorla)

User Reviews

Welcome to the South

Welcome to the South The final installment of the Metro-Detroit Italian Film Festival (2012) featured director Luca Minero's Benvenuti al sud, Welcome to the South (2011). The venue of Royal Oak's new Emagine Theatre was filled to capacity and resulted in the always unfortunate scenario of turning away hundreds of would be patrons. The film begins with Alberto Colombo (Claudio Bisso) as a civil servant of the Italian-Postale. Alberto has been passed up for promotion to a coveted Milan position and following a comical yet ill-fated attempt to secure another such opening is assigned to two years postale purgatory in Italy's southern region. Alberto's wife Silvia (Angela Finocchiaro) chooses to remain in the civilized north while Alberto is subjected to his penance. The ensuing journey is a farcical romp through social stereotypes and false assumptions which leads Alberto to re-evaluate his own system of beliefs. Steeped in Italian cinemas rich history of neo-realism and romanticism it seems that amore' is the parallel undercurrent to the film. Love reigns supreme beneath the comical veneer, as southern mama's boy Mattia Volpe (Alessandro Siani) garners courage to express his affections for local bellissima Maria (Valentina Lodovini). Alberto and Silvia teeter on the brink of their faltering relationship and her brave trip to the south will either break them or change them forever. A wonderful introspective on pre-conceived notions that prove false wrong when people understand one another combined with breathtaking scenery of Italy's southern coastal regions make this a film for all the world to enjoy. The sequel Welcome to the North (2012) should prove to be equally entertaining as the noteworthy cast of Alberto's friends invade the northern regions. Caio!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany]

Country:

Italy Germany

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

1 October 2010 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Bem-vindo ao Sul

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$45,896,492

Company Credits

Production Co:

Medusa Film, Cattleya, Regione Campania

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1