Italian Film Explores Grief for Middle East Youth

Italian filmmaker Fabrizio Cattani's "Forever With You" recently made its Middle East debut at the 13th Sharjah Intl. Film Festival for Children and Youth in the UAE. Italy was honored as this year's Country of Honor, highlighting its cinema.

The film, adapted from an Italian novel, centers on Filo, a young boy grappling with his mother's death. Set in 1998 and employing flashbacks, the narrative transforms his grief into an adventure where supporting characters embody facets of his psyche. Cattani explained that Filo represents rationality, his friend Rullo emotion, the father maturity, Amelie childishness, and Guelpho fear.

Cattani chose to explore mourning through childhood due to its inherent innocence and unique perspective. He noted that children possess the strength to appreciate small, valuable things because they absorb their environment like sponges. This approach aligns with a tradition in Italian cinema, such as in "Bicycle Thieves," to use children to explore broader emotional and social themes.

Shot in Calabria, the film imbues the region's forests with a character of their own. Despite its distinct Italian roots, Cattani believes the story's core theme of losing a mother is universally relatable. He was particularly struck by the enthusiastic reception from young audiences in the Middle East, reinforcing his belief in cinema's power to connect people globally through shared emotional experiences.

Cattani views festivals like SIFF as bridges for the Italian and Arab film industries, especially amid financial pressures on independent filmmaking in Italy. He hopes for future collaboration in production and financing. His upcoming projects include a film about village doctors and "Young Rebels," based on scouts who defied fascism.