The production “No Dogs and Italians”, by French director Alain Ughetto, about the story of a Italian family which migrated through Europe and America will premiere in Brazil on September 12th.
The stop motion animation – a docudrama with puppets and archive images – will be available in the country's cinemas in a subtitled version after being shown at more than 10 international festivals between 2022 and 2023 and winning awards, including Best Animated Feature Film at the European Film Awards, the European Oscars.
The 2022 co-production between France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Portugal, lasting 70 minutes, takes viewers back to the beginning of the 20th century, when in northern Italy, in Ughettera, in Piedmont, the Ughetto family lives.
Amidst the growing difficulties of the time, Luigi Ughetto and his brothers dream of starting over abroad, seeking “La Merica”, the fabulous land where dollars grow on trees.
However, instead of crossing the Atlantic, Luigi ends up settling in the south of France, with hands already worn out from work.
Dogs and Italians Not Allowed is built from a fictional dialogue with Cesira, the director's deceased grandmother, to whom he asks everything he would like to know to tell this story.
She, in turn, gives her grandson a testimony of the experience of generations of Italian immigrants.
In a poetic tone, and with documentary images, the film has a narrative nourished with ancestral memories and traces of the past, such as photographs and correspondence.
“What interested me was going back in time to connect intimate memories with a broader historical context,” says Alain, adding that he was inspired “by reality.”
“I delved into my own memories, then into those of my cousins, brothers and sisters. Between war and migration, between birth and death, a story emerged. Beyond the sadness of a personal story, I discovered a surprising journey, told in the film,” he concluded.HANDLE)
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