This 2002 film is about an Italian family who moves to Germany while the two boys are still young. We quickly get a flashback to the 60s in the town of Solino, Italy and learn what brought the family to Germany.
The movie was meant to be bilingual, German and Italian, signifying what immigrants go through when they move. They speak Italian in the home and must speak German in the community. Barnaby Metschurat even learned Italian for the role (Moritz Bleibtreu already knew Italian). The production company, however, insisted that the family be dubbed into German. This decision makes for odd scenes that don’t quite make sense, as everyone is speaking the same language. It could have been one of the earlier films to use the bilingual strategy for meaning. Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland uses Turkish and German in similar ways, Merry Christmas uses English, German, and French during WWI, and the Quentin Tarantino remake of Inglorious Basterds uses English, German, and French during WWII.
There is a scene of drug use and casual sex after an argument between the kids and their father. Although it adds meaning to the film, this scene can be skipped or edited out. Another casual sex scene appears after the mother sees a picture of her sons in the newspaper and she goes to look for her husband. It’s important to the plot, as it explains her return to Italy, but again can easily be skipped or edited. Both are done as such a way to show the negative side of drug use and adultery.
This film is designated as a drama comedy and covers several issues related to immigration and integration, making it a useful film to consider for AP preparatory courses or the university level.