SAIMIR

Italy, 2004, 88 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Francesco Munzi.

While SaImir tells a familiar enough story, especially about the difficulties for political refugees, it is done with a sense of urgency and humanity. The refugees are from Albania, travelling by night to the east coast of Italy. It shows the Albanian communities established in some of the Italian towns, their banding together for support, their clubs, the young gangs who specialise in burglary of homes as well as other crooked deals. It does not paint a sympathetic picture of so many of the refugees – wanting to be involved in crime or forced into it. It also presumes on the background of eastern Europe where, for so many decades, people took stealing for granted in order to be able to better themselves or to survive.

The film focuses on a young lad, Saimir (Mischel Manoku) who assists his father Edmund (Xhevdet Feri, a classical Albanian theatre actor). They receive the refugees, help distribute them. No questions are asked and money is taken. The father, meanwhile, wants to marry an Italian woman but his son resents this because of the memory of his own mother.

Saimir is assimilating into Italy, is attracted to a young girl at the beach, goes out with her but frightens her by showing her the place where stolen goods are stashed and offering her an expensive necklace. She runs away, he goes to the school and shouts abuse at her – later realising that his behaviour is unacceptable. When he sees a young teenager being brought into the country as a prostitute, he reacts angrily and is bashed. His father tries to rescue him – leaving his wedding celebration to save his son. It is too late. The boy wants to take some revenge on all those who are destroying his life and perpetrating this evil. He reports them to the police.

The film is one of many films of the early 21st century about migrants from eastern Europe. Italy itself produced Gianni Amelio’s Lamerica in 1994, highlighting the problems of refugees. Ten years later Saimir is continuing the story.

1.Italy and Albania? Migrants? Illegal migrants? Coming into the country, exploited by the Italians?

2.The issue of migration from eastern Europe into western Europe? Albanians into Italy? Coming across the sea, the organised gangs of Albanians, the Italian owners? Working rings, prostitution rings? The role of the police? The colonies of Albanians, their lifestyle, the gangs, the robberies? The clubs?

3.A sense of realism, the characters, their situations, activities? The style of realistic film-making? Musical score? Songs?

4.The title, the focus on Saimir? His age, his background, his dead mother and her photo, his relationship with his father, working with his father in bringing in the migrants? His resentment towards Simona and her living with his father, the marriage, his not going? His own lifestyle, an introvert, on his bike? Going to the club, his cousin, the dancing, the cocaine, the prostitute? His going to the beach, seeing Michela? Approaching her, going out with her, the swim? Taking her to his special place, the material from the robberies? His offering her the necklace? Her fear, running away? His buying the necklace, borrowing the money? The shock at her rejection, his anger, going into the school, shouting and his being ejected? His participation in the big robbery in the house, the gang, taking the stuff, the car? The small payout? With his father, the migrants, going to work? The young girl, her brutalisation, sitting in the car, hearing her cry? His resentment towards his father, towards the gang? His decision to go to the police, sitting in the police station, everybody being arrested? His going on his bike – to where?

5.The portrait of his father, his work, driving the truck, not asking questions, actually knowing what was going on? In the house, the anger of his son? The relationship with Simona, the meals, the marriage and its joy? His having to leave the dinner, his son being bashed? Dealing with his son’s anger, being arrested?

6.Michela, the ordinary Italian girl, attracted, going out, the swim, shy? Going to his special place, her fear, the gift, her not really knowing him? Her reaction to his outburst in the classroom?

7.The teenagers, lack of education, nothing to do? No moral framework? Eastern European and the culture of stealing? Going into the homes, snatching the purses? Getting their money? The nightclubs and their lifestyle?

8.The portrait of the Italians, welcoming the Albanians, exploiting them? The consequences of this kind of refugee status as well as migration for Italian society? A topical film of 2004?