Karin Bachmann
Switzerland | 2012 | 9 min
World premiere
Language : Italian
Subtitle : French
San Basilio, on the outskirts of Rome, shelters marginalized people of all kinds. Violence and distrust are the characteristics of this community, home to Gianfranco and Giò, a couple of Sinti gypsies. They opened the doors of their shack to Bachman, who records their boredom, daily life, a religious service, capturing the care for each other which enables them to miraculously survive in this hostile environment.
In San Basilio, a district on the outskirts of Rome, there are people who live on the margins of society, their lives characterized by violence and mistrust. One of the protagonists of O Signore Stracciarolo points them out, occasionally commenting “What a bunch of nutters!”, as if speaking to himself, though the camera amplifies his comments. Karin Bachmann has gone to visit Gianfranco and Giò to record the boredom of their daily lives. And their faith. Filmed in their home – which the camera gradually reveals – this couple of Sinti gypsies look outwards, to the source of the light, which they find during the Sunday religious service, even though this ritual consists purely of imprecations and tears. A strange faith which pushes against the despair it breeds… But this is not their real problem. Do Gianfranco and Giò have any problems? The film leaves us in a state of uncertainty, which is reinforced as the focus widens to take in the melancholy serenity of this couple living in a prefabricated shack. A hut on a building-site, a haven of peace for this pair who by some miracle manage to survive.
Emmanuel Chicon
Translation BMP Translations