Italian Pinocchio pleases

Call me film/culturally inept, but 30 minutes is the most I’ve lasted in front of a foreign language movie with English subtitles. What can I say? I like words. In a language I can follow.

So imagine my English-speaking jaw hitting the floor as I was put to shame by more than 200 children who didn’t just watch Enzo d’Alo’s Italian version of Pinocchio but were captivated by every rolling Italian ‘r’ that came their way.

The main showcase on Family Day at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on Saturday, this latest interpretation of Carlo Collodi’s famous book is said to be as faithful to the original text as possible.

Italy’s most famous fictional character, the story of the wooden puppet is known the world over and is the European country’s most translated book.

The Naples-born director is confident and inspiring and was not surprised by the rapturous applause he received after a screening at Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall.

“This film has been more than 10 years in the making,” said the bubbly Italian. “I started back in 2000 and then took a break. I would lose direction a little.”

Picking up again after the death of his father, D’Alo was inspired in a new way by what he says was a previously unexplored relationship between Pinocchio and his own father, Geppetto the carpenter.

“While Geppetto carves Pinocchio, he sees himself in his face. He imagines what Pinocchio sees when he looks at him and he realises he’s becoming a father too. I wanted to focus on this relationship as more of a metaphor than has ever been illustrated before. He makes a wooden boy but it’s just as important when he’s wooden as when he’s alive. He moulds him, just as every father tries to do for his living son. In the child-puppet he sees his past and his lost expectations, as well. He becomes emotional and nostalgic for the choices he never made.”

The movie has a distinctly Italian feel with music composed by popular singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla, who died in March. Dalla’s last compositions were for the production and he also did the voiceover for Il Pescatore Verde (The Green Fisherman) who attempts to eat Pinocchio.

“The Green Fisherman is a character which many movies, including the Disney version, leave out,” he said. “But I wanted to stay true to the book and he’s there so why wouldn’t we use him? I believe children are not as frightened as we think. They cope with things they see.”

One of the viewers was Aadita Gupta, 8, who was shocked she didn’t finish her popcorn. “The film was very funny and a bit scary so I put it down and I didn’t even finish it. Maybe I can take it home now,” she wondered. “I feel lucky to see this film and I like the bit when Pinocchio is eaten up,” she laughed.

D’Alo rewrote and worked the script more than 15 times before a final version was eventually decided.

Scripted by Umberto Marino, it features illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti and music by Lucio Dalla. The voice cast Gabriele Caprio, Rocco Papaleo, Paolo Ruffini, Micheli Maurizio and Pino Quartullo all do a fantastic job at adding the layers which keep the youngsters gripped.

While some critics believe the music is too overpowering, D’Alo disagrees – as do the children.

“The film has a pace of running. It’s about Pinocchio’s journey and it increases with speed throughout the entire film. I wanted music to represent this. I believe music is the one thing in this film which is totally universal. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, everyone can interpret music the way they want. It has to work for everyone, to keep them inspired.”

Pinocchio, produced by Cometafilm, Iris Productions, Walking the Dog and 2D-3D Animation, was worked on between Italy, France, Belgium and Luxemburg, and has a very Italian feel.

Maricla Affatato, producer and the voice of the fox, said it would not have been possible without D’Alo.

“The biggest challenge when making a film in Italy is funding,” she said frankly. “Luckily we had a director who was so stubborn it was never going anywhere else. This makes it even more emotional for me. It’s a labour of love which is being loved by children everywhere.”

Alicia Manning, 11, from the UK has lived in Abu Dhabi for four years and watched the film with her cousin, William Trappnell, 12, visiting from England. “I think it was very good,” said Manning, who also wants to be a filmmaker. “I love the colours and the story. At first I thought it would be very hard to watch a film in Italian but it wasn’t. I wish I could speak Italian.”

Trappnell said his favourite bit was when Pinocchio’s nose grows. “I know it’s the bit everyone will say but I think it’s what you wait for. It’s what we know from the other films and it’s funny.”

Donald, 43, and Eliza Turner, 40, from Canada, brought their three children, Betty-May, 6, and twin boys Jonathon and Tristan, 12.

“It was a very interesting movie,” said the father-of-three as the children posed with director Enzo D’Alo. “It’s always interesting to see something with a little more substance than what Hollywood tends to throw out. I think it’s important for the children to know more of the history of these great stories rather than what an American studio wants them to buy into.”