Friendship and Hard Work Amid Italy’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in “Fratelli Carbonai”
A young man from Mali carves out a life for himself in an ancient trade in the Calabrian mountains, when the nation’s politics take a hard right turn.Film by Felix Bazalgette and Joshua Hughes
Transcript
02:00Hey auntie, a Coca-Cola!
02:04A Coca-Cola!
02:07Hey, slow down, slow down.
02:19It's too much.
02:21How do you turn it?
02:23It's too much and the back doesn't close.
02:25I don't understand.
02:27I don't understand, no.
02:29The back doesn't close. How am I supposed to get the truck up?
02:32Tell me.
02:34I don't know how to drive a truck.
02:50I came to Italy when I was little.
02:53I can't work.
02:56That's what helps me.
02:59I call him, he goes to the bar and takes the money.
03:02It helps me a lot.
03:04It helps me a lot.
03:08When I was angry,
03:10that's what I saw, no?
03:12He immediately recognized me.
03:14Bad-tempered, bad-tempered.
03:16Things that weigh you down.
03:18Things that serve you.
03:20You don't have to think so much.
03:22I'm sorry.
03:24They're very good.
03:26They're big, they're big, big, big, big.
03:31They're not good,
03:33but they're a little different, you see?
03:35They're not bad.
03:39It's hurting.
03:41It's hurting a lot.
03:43It's hurting a lot.
03:45Go up, go up, go up.
03:47Go up.
03:49Move it.
03:51It's hurting a lot.
03:53It's hurting a lot.
03:55It's hurting a lot.
03:57It's hurting a lot.
04:02It's hurting a lot.
04:04It's hurting a lot.
04:09The projections of the Italian election night
04:11indicate an Italy that steers right
04:13from the first exit points.
04:15I remain firm on my position.
04:17Naval block along the coast of the Ligurian Sea.
04:20Opening of the oil fields in Africa.
04:22Evaluation in Africa of who has the right
04:24to be a refugee.
04:26Distribution only of refugees in 27 countries
04:28of the European Union.
04:30The thing that you hear is...
04:39My father used to be a mechanic.
04:41He always helped me.
04:47Because then there are no documents, you see?
04:49There's nothing.
04:52He lost it when he came here.
04:54Then to find it again...
04:58He didn't send his statue, you see?
05:02He's a person who works, you see?
05:04He's not a vagabond.
05:06He's a person who works,
05:08so his father always helped him.
05:10Because he's someone who works, you see?
05:12He works.
05:16And those who work help him.
05:18A vagabond doesn't help him, you see?
05:22A vagabond doesn't help him.
05:24A vagabond doesn't help him.
05:48I'm with my father.
05:50I'm with my father.
05:52I go on with my father's job, you see?
05:54If I go somewhere else,
05:56they have to command me.
05:58Nobody commands me here.
06:06This is what makes you stay, you see?
06:08What makes you stay,
06:10what makes you want this,
06:12nobody commands you.
06:14It's not like Luigi comes
06:16and you tell me to do this or that.
06:18You stay calm, do what you want.
06:20When you want you get up, when you want you sit down.
06:28Let's continue another time, come on.
06:36Italians are not the same as us, you see?
06:38We are foreigners.
06:42So why the fuck am I here?
06:44I have to behave well, you see?
06:46I have to behave well, you see?
06:54Italians don't live here.
06:56You understand?
07:06But a foreigner
07:08should always be careful.
07:16You understand?
07:22You don't want to speak?
07:24You want to talk?
07:26No, no, no.
07:28I'm not going to talk.
07:30You think
07:32that you can do this?
07:34I'm not going to let you do this.
07:36So you think you can do this?
07:38You think you can do this?
07:40No, no.
07:42You think you can do this?
07:44You think you can do this?
07:46No.
07:50So what do I do?
07:52You don't let me speak.
07:54You don't let me talk.
07:56You don't let me talk.
07:58You don't let me talk.
08:00So what do I do?
08:02You don't let me talk.
08:04It's not fair.
08:06This is your decision.
08:08Your decision.
08:10Ok?
08:12They told me the whole election campaign that we scare people.
08:42But who?
08:45Those who dream of a proud Italy.
08:49Those who want to be proud of their nation, of their people, of their flag.
08:55That Italy is not afraid. That Italy is ready.
08:59We are ready.
09:01And you will see it together on September 25th.
09:05Sunday from 7 to 23.
09:08Until the last vote to restore freedom to this nation.
09:14To restore its pride.
09:25The politics in Italy are bad.
09:30They eat and eat and do nothing.
09:33This is not the land of Italy.
09:35There is Salvini.
09:37From the North League.
09:39The Moroccans, the Africans, they go back.
09:43Instead of Lampedusa, Sicily, they bring them to Italy.
09:48They have no destiny.
09:51Do you understand what I mean?
09:53Are these policies popular here in Calabria?
09:58Yes, there is Calabria, there is Italy.
10:02But there is no one here to speak for you.
10:09I have to go to a café.
10:17I have to go to a cafe.
10:21I don't talk much.
10:23I drink tea all the time.
10:26I'm not going to die, I just want to go home.
10:30I'm going to go home.
10:33I'm going to make you a cigarette.
10:37I'm going to make you a cigarette.
10:40I'm going to make you a cigarette.
10:48I want to go home, I want to see my mom and dad.
10:51I want to see my sister and brother.
10:57I haven't seen my mom and dad in 12 years.
11:0112 years.
11:03So, I'm sure it's going to be difficult.
11:09If you don't see your mom and dad, you're fine, right?
11:12That's what I think.
11:16We joke, I joke with him.
11:19But we're friends, you know?
11:23Always human.
11:27It changes color, but it's always the same.
11:42Do you see here? There's a gap.
11:45There's a gap here.
11:47You put the wood, you understand?
11:49Only where there's a gap, you can't put it on top.
11:52Otherwise, look.
11:54If you put it here, it stays.
11:56If you put it here, it doesn't stay, you see?
11:58If you put it on top, it doesn't stay, you see?
12:01Instead, if you put it here...
12:06It has to have its place.
12:13I hope Ivan likes doing this job.
12:17Unfortunately, in Calabria, there's no work.
12:21In Calabria, there's only hunger.
12:25Because they want everything for themselves, you see?
12:28The state only wants it for itself.
12:35I never wanted to do this job, you see?
12:39It's too dirty every night, too heavy.
12:42I never wanted to do it.
12:44Unfortunately, I fell, how do you say?
12:48With my face in the shit, you see?
12:54And I have to work like a bastard.
12:58You see?
13:12I'm sorry.
13:22Another tragedy on the Italian coast.
13:25The bodies of 43 migrants have been recovered from the sea
13:28on the beach in the town of Steccato di Cutro in Crotonese.
13:32Among them, numerous children, a newborn and many women.
13:43The Italian Coast Guard is investigating the case of the migrants.
13:47The Italian Coast Guard is investigating the case of the migrants.
13:50The Italian Coast Guard is investigating the case of the migrants.
13:55Ah, here is the government, here on the left.
13:59You see, the beach is always ahead, but there's no money, you see?
14:06They make me pay for it.
14:12I'm an African.
14:14I'm an African here, and all of them are Italian.
14:20So all of them are my friends.
14:32They have already done everything.
14:36The passport was found by hand, but the documents were not found by hand yet.
14:43So I have to wait a little longer.
15:00I don't want to go to Africa.
15:03I want to find my mother, I want to find my friends.
15:07I don't want to talk on the phone.
15:13What is important is that I stay with my parents, with my family, with my friends.
15:20But distance is too much for me.
15:29I can't do this, I can't find the money.
15:42I can't do this, I can't find the money.
15:48I can't do this.
16:12I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:15I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:18I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:21I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:24I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:27I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:30I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:33I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:36I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:39I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:42I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:45I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:48I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:51I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:54I can't do this, I can't find the money.
16:57I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:00I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:03I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:06I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:09I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:12I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:15I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:18I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:21I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:24I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:27I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:30I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:33I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:36I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:39I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:42I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:45I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:48I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:51I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:54I can't do this, I can't find the money.
17:57I can't do this, I can't find the money.