244. The Ciambra; movie review

THE CIAMBRA
Cert 15
118 mins
BBFC advice: Contains scene of sexual abuse

From Rome, Open City to La Strada and then Gomorrah, Italian cinema shines a light for the authentic.
The beacon is held aloft this year by director Jonas Carpignano with his compelling and gritty The Ciambra.
By working with non-professional actors Capignano captures the atmosphere of the Romani community of Calabria.
And yet, presumably thanks to the expert help of Martin Scorsese as executive producer, this movie is presented in the highest quality.
The Ciambra centres on Pio Amato, a 14-year-old, who drifts sublimely between his family group and a community of Africans who are shunned by the rest of society.
Smoking, drinking and self-assured, the teenager tries to fill the void left when his much older and criminal brother and father are jailed.
But his lack of life experience that means his ambitions run away with him and he doesn't see the danger signs.
I was intrigued at how Carpignano convinced Pio's friends and family to take part in this docu-drama, and what their views are now that it has been complete.
In short, it makes them appear very lax parents, encouraging little regard for the law as well as caring nothing about under-age smoking and drinking.
That said, Carpignano has done a terrific job in evoking the atmosphere of communities which are rarely realistically portrayed on screen.
And in Pio he has found a star. Portraying an exaggerated version of oneself is one of the most difficult of acting assignments and Pio carries it off like a veteran thespian.
The refugee crisis and the increase in discrimination across Europe in recent years heighten the importance of movies such as The Ciambra.
Carpignano's film brings his audiences closer to the subject but offers no judgment.

Reasons to watch: Feels stunningly authentic
Reasons to avoid: It does feel a bit stretched

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Director quote - Jonas Carpignano: "I think if I had to boil it down, the hardest parts of making the film were waking Pio up in the morning, and directing the scenes that have tons of kids."

The big question - When and why did Romany communities decide to settle?

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