Over 70 Jews were transferred to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana between 1941 and 1943 for “free internment” (i.e. forced domicile): this forgotten history is the focus of “For a New Tomorrow”, a documentary based loosely on the book “The Orizzonte Chiuso” by Silvia Angelini, Oscar Guidi and Paola Lemmi, edited by Maria Pacini Fazzi Editore, broadcast on Friday January 26th in prime time on Rai 3, on the occasion of Remembrance Day.
When Italy entered the war in 1940, foreign citizens present in Italy were arrested or placed under surveillance because they were considered potential enemies. Among these also the Jews.
The internees are withheld money and papers, they have no contact with the local population, cannot leave the municipal area without special permission, have to report to the police station at certain times and are only allowed to leave the house during the day. Using the character of Israel Meier, played by Neri Marcorè, the documentary traces the two years of forced coexistence of this community, between the initial integration difficulties, the strict bans, the constant humiliation and the solidarity of the population.
“I accepted this suggestion because thinking about the Holocaust affects me deeply every time,” says Neri Marcorè. – It is truly the cruelest page in human history that one likes to remember in the hope that things do not repeat themselves. But man is probably not able to learn from his mistakes. And that's a reality, it's not about being pessimistic or optimistic. It’s exactly what we see all the time.”
A story, that of “For a New Tomorrow”, which, on the one hand, uses the fictional reconstruction of history; on the other hand, interviews with the few remaining contemporary witnesses such as Simona Nissim, Vilma Papi, Liliana Segre, Leo Verderber; on the other hand, valuable archive images. “It was a different way of honoring the victims of internment and the courageous Italians who did not turn away but tried to offer a hand, a smile, a blanket, a piece of bread,” writes director Luca Brignone.
“For a New Tomorrow” is a co-production of Rai Fiction and Alfea Cinematografica, created under the auspices of the Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Ebraica Contemporanea Cdec Onlus of Milan, the Jewish Community of Pisa, the Municipality of Castiglione di Garfagnana and the Municipality of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, the Union of Garfagnana Municipalities. The cast includes Elena Meoni, Marco Pratesi, Leonardo Caneva, Luigi Pisani, Paolo Giommarelli. Screenplay by Mario Cristiani, Cosetta Lagani, Stefano Nannipieri.