#UnMondoaParte is a film by 2024 directed by Riccardo Milani, screenplay by Riccardo Milani and Michele Astori, with: Antonio Albanese and Virginia Raffaele

Synopsis: #UnMondoaParte tells the story of Michele Cortese (Antonio Albanese), an elementary school teacher, which seems to be about to embark on a new life. After having taught for forty years in the jungle of Roman schools, the man manages to get assigned to the Cesidio Gentile Institute known as Jurico, or a school, located in the Abruzzo National Park, with a single multi-class of children ranging from 7 to 10 years.

Helped by vice-principal Agnese (Virginia Raffaele) and by the students, Michele's initial metropolitan inadequacy and little by little he becomes one of them. When everything starts going right, But, horrible news arrives: due to low registrations, the school will close forever in June. That's how Michele, Agnese and the children will begin a long race against time to prevent this small school reality from ceasing to exist.

Review:

The “happy islands” still exist?

The charm of villages is just a trend of our time?

One can get used to the decline of a community?

The school is still the last bastion for a small town?

#UnMondoaParte by Riccardo Milano seeks to provide answers to these and other questions on social stability, economic and cultural of small villages. Using as a "narrative expedient" the escape of the teacher Michele from Rome after thirty years of teaching. The man is tired and disillusioned with school and the uselessness of his job.

In writing the score of the film, Riccardo Milani and the screenwriter Fabrizio Astori were clearly inspired by two famous films: #Let's hope I'm okay with it (1992) directed by Lina Wertmüller starring Paolo Villaggio and #BenvenutialSud (2010) by Luca Miniero with Claudio Bisio.

The narrative plot develops around two main themes: the school and the existential change of the protagonist in contact with the local inhabitants.

#UnMondoaparte set in Abruzzo offers the viewer to know and appreciate the small villages and landscapes in the winter version little known to the general public.

#UnMondoAparte alternates light moments with others that are more intense and serious but share the same narrative mood: living all year round in a small village in Abruzzo is very different from living it as a tourist during the summer or perhaps on some autumn weekends.

Winter is not just a season of the year, but it also becomes on a symbolic level the difficulties and resignation of the people of Abruzzo to the inertia and inevitability of a destiny already written.

According to the director's vision, the school thus becomes the last bastion, light or if you prefer a heat source against the cold weather, historical and above all that of the obtuse and short-sighted political vision.

“The numbers speak clearly” is a phrase that often recurs in the protagonists' dialogues, debasing the educational mission of the school in favor of economic calculation.

#UnMondoAparte proves to be an enjoyable vision overall despite having some critical issues in terms of the screenplay and directorial limitations, the latter resulting from wanting to keep too many things together.

The script thus turns out to be a #frittomisto that is difficult to digest despite its skill, experience and personality of the two main protagonists: Antonio Albanese and Virginia Raffaele.

The new pair appears more natural and convincing in the "brilliant" passages than in the more "serious" ones, which, although well interpreted, appear less incisive and engaging. Instead it is decidedly wrong, the love "liaison" between the two characters is useless and far-fetched on a narrative and emotional level, other than adding nothing to the story.

In conclusion #Unmondoaparte is a vision that will make you love the natural beauty of Abruzzo, rediscover with a smile the value of the community and above all make people understand how and how important the presence of the school is even in the most remote areas.

Traditions must be preserved and protected even when everyone says and does the opposite, because “…the mountain does”.

Vittorio De Agrò (RS)