Cinema Retro continues to shine the spotlight on worthy independent films.
BY GIACOMO SELLONI
Three pensioners in Rome find love where they
least expect it. In themselves.
Citizen of the World is a sweet and ultimate
touching story that centers around two old friends, now retired, collecting
their pensions that barely keep them afloat in expensive Rome, who discuss
leaving Italy to find a place where they can "live as kings" on their
measly pensions. Giorgio Colangeli plays
Giorgetto, a cantankerous ne'er do well who's rarely worked in his life and is
addicted to scratch off lottery tickets. He lives in a ramshackle apartment,
the bathroom of which is up a spiral, metal staircase. He allows a homeless
immigrant from Africa, Abu, (a sweet performance by first time actor Salih Saadin Khalid), to use his shower.
The director, Gianni Di Gregorio
(called Italy's "Larry David" for the films he makes that are about
nothing and everything) portrays Il Professore. A retired professor of Latin
and Greek, hes much of day in a little bar/cafe musing with Giorgetto about
their hard lives. He, at least, has a more hospitable abode. It's filled with
books, some rare.Giorgetto says he knows a guy who
moved to Santo Domingo and lives like a king. He doesn't actually know the guy,
but he 'knows' the guy's brother. He gets the brother's phone number and
arranges a meeting at the man's villa in Tor Tre Treste (a district of Rome
outside of the city walls) where they hope to question him and "get some
info." But a trip to Tor Tre Treste requires a long walk to a bus, to a
train and than another kilometer walk to find this villa, "the one with a
motorcycle in the yard." Here the meet Attilio (a
wonderful Ennio
Fantastichini), the jack-of-all-trades whose brother
lives in Terracina, a city on the coast, 56 kilometers south of Rome, not in
Santo Domingo. Attilio also dreams of leaving. He's traveled, whereas Il
Professore and Giorgetto have not. He has as many stories as Aesop and numerous
occupations. Now he sells and restores antique furniture. He, unlike his new
friends, does not receive a pension. But, he says he's thought about it and he
can leave if he wants; he's a "citizen of the world. I'm a free man!"
The entire story plays out over
the course of one week. We witness the ups and downs of planning where they
could go. On the advice of one of Attilio's clients (another professor) they
learn it must be a place with a good exchange rate, purchasing power, a stable
government, little chance of disease, natural hazards... Xenophobia could be a
problem; they'll be foreigners. You get the picture.
They need to come up with funds,
a float to get them on their way. They go about it in different ways. Do they
get it? Do they go to....? And what about Abu, the homeless immigrant?
Our three main characters gel and
spar with great chemistry. Also of note is Daphne Scoccia, who plays Attilio's,
free-spirited, beauty salon owning daughter, Fiorella.
One of the most touching parts of
this film has little to do with the script. Salih Saadin Khalid, in real life, was a
homeless migrant living in Rome. His pay from this film allowed him to join
what's left of his family in Canada.
Viewing this film has me interested in seeing
more of Di Gregorio's films and more of Ennio Fantastichini's work as well. He
passed away at the age of 63 in December of 2018 with 94 film credits in his
career.
I highly recommend traveling with these
citizens of the world.