A film that states that the heart speaks louder than the intellect, the story of The Italian revolves around six year old Vanya. Living comfortably as an adopted child with an Italian family, Vanya's quest for more leads him on a journey to find his real mother. (Sharmill Films Australia)
It’s a pretty tall order to ask a six-year-old to suddenly take on responsibility for his own life. The questions facing Vanya are really tough: does he want to live a comfortable life as an adopted child of a loving family in Italy? After all, for an abandoned Russian child like Vanya it really doesn’t sound like a bad option.
The orphan has recently become a figure with a powerful resonance in post-Soviet filmmaking. This film is set in a privatised institution run by a profit-oriented proprietor and effectively administered by a gang of juvenile inmates. Things are looking up for six-year-old Vanya, though. He is about to be adopted (or purchased might be a better way of putting it) by a benevolent Italian couple. However, Vanya is a child as dogged and resourceful as he is inconvenient when his imagination is fired by the prospect of finding his mother. Andrei Kravchuk’s film is a delight for the ears with its densely layered soundtrack conjuring up an off-centre world in which you can never feel truly at ease or at home. (Adelaide Film Festival 2007).
Director : Andrei Kravchuk, Russia, 2006
Full review by Maraget and Dave, ABC's At the Movies
Official Russian Entry-2006 Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film
