“Zero”, the new Netflix original series tells the story of a shy boy gifted with an extraordinary superpower: the invisibility.
Focused on the current lives of young black Italians, "Zero" – in eight episodes – will be available in 190 countries, including Brazil, from April 21st.
Recorded in the first months of the Covid pandemic, in 2020, the series is set in Neighborhood, a fictional neighborhood on the outskirts of Milan – in reality, the series is shot in Barona, south of the city.
The plot of Netflix's Zero
Zero tells the story of Omar, a young Afro-Italian who lives in Barrio. Zero is shy, reserved and loves manga.
He delivers pizzas to save money and fly away, escaping from home and the neighborhood where he lives.
He always feels out of place, invisible. For him, destiny prepares something different.
Omar discovers that he has an extraordinary superpower: he becomes invisible.
He is not a superhero, but a modern hero who decides to put his power at the service of his neighborhood, which is in danger.
In this way, Zero will also discover the friendship of Sharif, Inno, Momo and Sara, and perhaps also the love for Anna.
The author
Antonio Dikele Distefano was born in Busto Arsizio, in the province of Varese, in 1992 of Angolan parents.
He already has several novels to his credit. “In Zero, there is a lot of my story as an 'Afro-Italian' boy who lived outside the center, in every way. Zero is the story of who accept your diversity”, says.
But be careful, even though the protagonists of this series are almost all black Italians, “don't make the mistake of thinking that Zero is talking about all second-generation children. It's about values and feelings, which are valid regardless of color. When skin color is no longer at the center of the debate, When will it be normal to see Italian series with people from other backgrounds, then it will finally be normal. We will have won when we talk about history and not our color”, says Distefano.
The protagonists
Zero/Omar is the protagonist. Giuseppe Dave Seke plays him masterfully, in his first experience as an actor. “I thought I wasn’t up to it, my voice shook when I said the name Netflix“. He arrived at Zero on the recommendation of a friend.
Anna (played by Beatrice Grannò) is a young Milanese woman of bourgeois origin. Although her father has always tried to give her everything her friends have, Anna's not being able to afford certain comforts has never been a problem, but rather a way of keeping in touch with planet Earth. When she meets Zero, she discovers a guy who can accept her for who she really is.
Sharif (played by Haroun Fall) is of Nigerian descent. He works to defend the neighborhood from invasions by unknown bandits who want to expel the former residents. “When I saw the video of the selection I thought I was going in the same direction as I am going as a person and as an actor. I had to be part of the project”, – explains Haroun Fall.
Inno (Madior Fall), a member of the group, is a football phenomenon and at first doesn't trust Zero. “I was born as a model, but this experience was a more unique than rare opportunity that I didn’t want to miss,” explains Madior.
Sara (Daniela Scattolin) is the true leader of the gang: even though Sharif commands, she decides. She has a job, a rehearsal room, she has a car, she is a bit of the “mother” of the group. Daniela explains: “When I saw Antonio's (Distefano) video I asked myself why my agency hadn't proposed me. I really wanted to be part of this project. And I did well.”
momo (Richard Dylan Magon) is the heart of the group. The one who can overcome any difficulty with a smile. And it’s like that in life too, for Richard: “My superpower is knowing how to laugh at people”.
Awa (Virginia Diop), Zero's sister, is self-confident and popular. She is beautiful and loves volleyball. She likes Italian pop singers, she likes popular national programs and loves the Made in Italy:. “I’ve been in a film before and I was playing the role of an immigrant,” says Virginia.
The soundtrack
The soundtrack sets the rhythm of the “street” story perfectly with the participation of contemporary Italian and international artists.
The composer of music, created especially for Zero, is Yakamoto Kotzuga. Among the main songs on the soundtrack, an unprecedented Mahmood which also accompanied the trailer, titled Zero.
Not only that: Mahmood was the music supervisor of last episode. He took care of the song selection.
The themes
Inclusion, multiculturalism, diversity: These are the central themes of the story, even though the author distefano admit that “I don’t like the word diversity, Zero wants to talk about normality”.
The project, directed by four directors (Paola Randi, Mohamed Hossameldin, Margherita Ferri, Ivan Silvestrini) is inevitably new and pioneering: it finally puts the Italians second generation in the center.
Something that the Italian media pretended not to see.
“When I was younger I was told I was the new one. Even now they say I'm the new one: I'm 28 years old, how can I continue to be the new one? Start of a change”, says Distefano.
Then there is another very interesting topic: awareness of where one belongs.
In fact, Barrio is a popular neighborhood that is going through something of a “forced” gentrification: Not only are expensive rents driving out residents, but unscrupulous properties are also being built to threaten the calm of the area.
Here, Omar and his friends discover the importance of fighting for their place.
Where to see the Zero series
Zero is a Netflix original production. It will debut this Wednesday, April 21st, on the platform and in all countries in the world where the service is active: 190.
Curiosity
Zero takes place in the Milanese suburbs, Barrio. This is Barona, who reveals her identity in every take.
The bicycle as a means of transportation also served to connect the center, where Zero/Omar delivers pizzas and where he meets Anna, and the suburbs where he lives.
Another curiosity concerns the pandemic: production on the series began when all of Italy was locked down.
The actors spent three months locked in a hotel in Rome. They met and got together. “We became friends, we talk every day”, they say.
Watch the official trailer for Netflix's Zero
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