Waterlanders in the fishing film Malavoglia | bndestem.nl/Film Festival

reluctantly

The sea gives and the sea takes away. “Malavoglia” by Italian director Pasquale Scimeca tells the story of three generations of a fishing family. The film is based on the novel by Giovanni Verga. With the struggle for survival. Love and hate for the sea. Despair for lack of money and the hope of the youngest generation that things will get better one day.

This film has beautiful images, a beautiful lyrical text and a theme that is well known in the Netherlands in the tradition of stories that include “Op Hoop Van Blessed”. A good film to see early in the afternoon on a Sunday. Festival Director Leo Hannewijk introduced it pleasantly before it started. This just added an extra touch to the festival. From time to time you are informed and explained in advance what you are going to see.

Even though the ending of Malavolia seems extremely sad and hopeless, fortunately there is an optimistic ending. Everything is going well for this family in the end. Well: the father has been completely drowned, but the son Antonio is having a breakthrough with his music, the daughter Mena has become her illegal immigrant mother, the other daughter is still in love with Michelle, who is suspected of being a drug dealer, and Michelle finally found out to become a policeman. Even grandpa seems to have survived the heart attack. Don’t know if the moms are still crazy? But for the rest: all’s well that ends well. Although… both sons are out to sea again. Oh dear… as long as everything goes well. Anyway: now I’m happy to leave the cinema and go into the sunshine.