Marina (2013 film)

Marina
Directed by Stijn Coninx
Produced by Peter Bouckaert
Written by Rik D'Hiet
Music by Michelino Bisceglia
Cinematography Lou Berghmans
Edited by Philippe Ravoet
Production
company
Release dates
  • 23 August 2013 (Montréal World Film Festival)
  • 6 November 2013 (Belgium)
Country Belgium
Language Dutch
Box office $4,941,893[1]

Marina is a biographical film released in 2013 and directed by Stijn Coninx. The film is based upon the life of the Italian singer Rocco Granata who moved to Belgium when he was a young boy. It features Matteo Simoni as Rocco Granata and Evelien Bosmans as Helena. Most part of the film is in Italian as Rocco's parents did not speak the Dutch language. Other parts are in Dutch and some dialogues in French and English.

The film was first shown at the Montreal World Film Festival on 25 August 2013. It was released in Belgium in November. The film won a Golden Award at the Ostend Film Festival and the "publics favorite award" at the Valladolid International Film Festival.[2][3]

Plot

Salvatore Granata is a rather poor man who lives with his wife, son and daughter in Calabria in Italy. One day Salvatore decides to move to Belgium to work in the coal mine of Waterschei as a gastarbeider. His family will stay in Italy as Salvatore will only be in Belgium for three years. He hopes to earn much money in a rather small timeframe so he can buy a forge for his son Rocco who is now still a 9 year old boy. After a year, Salvatore decides his family should be with him, so they also move to Belgium. They soon discover the life of a gastarbeider is difficult: they have to live in some kind of barracks, they are neglected by the Belgian people and they do not earn much. They are astonished when they hear Salvatore signed a contract of five years and male children of gastarbeiders are ought to work in the mines as soon they leave high school. Rocco meets Helena, the daughter of the local grocer shop. However, the man is a racist and forbids his daughter to play with Italian boys.

Ten years pass and Salvatore still works in the mines. They now live in a house they rent from the mine. Rocco follows courses to play the accordion. One day, he falls with his bicycle and his accordion is broken. His music teacher advises to buy a new accordion, but Rocco's father refuses as he does not want to invest in the musical instrument. It turns out Rocco is a rather good mechanic and he gets an apprenticeship in the local automobile repair shop. Rocco's mother Ida earns some money by washing and ironing the clothes of other gastarbeiders. Salvatore, who is a selfish, jealous patriarch is unaware about Ida's job. Rocco uses his saving money (and a part of Ida's money) to buy a new accordion. He can spend ten thousand Belgian francs, but the store keeper asks 25 000 francs for the accordion he wants to buy. However, after Rocco played some songs, the storekeeper is impressed and agrees Rocco can buy the device on credit.

Rocco once again meets Helena. She can convince Rocco to subscribe for a talent scout. Rocco wins, but an unaware Helena tells Salvatore where his son got the money. Salvatore is furious and forbids his son to play the accordion. However, Rocco sneakily goes to pubs and bars to play with his music group "The International Quintet". One day, the group is arrested by the police as they do not have a "profession card". Rocco requests such card at the ministry, but this is refused as he is the son of a gastarbeider. That's why Rocco asks a shady man to make fake cards.

Meanwhile, Helena started a relationship with Renaat, a rich snob. Both want to go to the university in Leuven. One day, Rocco has to check the car of Renaat, but he forgets to fill the oil. The car gets broken and the owner of the automobile repair shop stops the apprenticeship. Helena realizes she does not love Renaat and she breaks the relationship. She meets with Rocco and both have sex. Next morning, Rocco has to go to the recording studio to make a single. The evening before, an impresario attended a performance of "The International Quintet" and wants to record their song "Manuela". On the B-side the song Marina will be recorded. When Rocco returns at home, he is arrested by the police as he is identified as the wrongdoer who raped Helena. Although he claims not to be guilty, the police does not want to believe him. Only after two witnesses declare Rocco did not rape Helena (Renaat was the wrongdoer), he is set free. Some time later, Rocco wants to visit Helena but she moved to the US.

There is also more bad news: the recording company does not want to release the single as "nobody is interessed in a boy playing the accordion". That's why Rocco buys all the singles to distribute them in Waterschei. His father is still mad as he does not want his son to be a professional musician. Some days later, Salvatore is involved in an occupational injury and hurts his leg. After he wakes up, it seems he also has tinnitus. The board of the mine decides Salvatore can't work anymore in the mines due to the tinnitus. He will get a disability allowance for six months; after that he also has to leave the house. The board will pay for the incident with the leg, but claim they are not responsible for the tinnitus.

The song Marina becomes an international success. Rocco heads to the US to promote his songs. During a performance in Carnegie Hall, he forgives his father who now is proud of his son. There is also an unexpected attendee in the public: Helena.

Cast

Reception

The film mostly had positive reviews. Matteo Simoni is praised for his acting as he had to learn the Italian language. Only Knack's opinion is that the film has too many caricatures and too slow.[4] The film received five nominations at the 5th Magritte Awards, winning three, including Best Flemish Film.[5]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&wk=2013W45&id=_fMARINA01
  2. ↑ Marina wint prijs op Filmfestival van Valladolid
  3. ↑ Gouden award voor 'Marina' van Stijn Coninx
  4. ↑ Recension Marina
  5. ↑ "Magritte: Pluie de nominations pour les Dardenne et Lucas Belvaux". La Libre Belgique (in French). January 7, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.

External links