This is me, Giammarresi Salvatore, in 1979
and I'm about to tell you my story. My story and that of my family.
Cheese... Click!
This is my father, Giammarresi Lorenzo.
He works at the General Registry Office in Palermo, he's a quiet guy.
Because nothing's done through intermediaries here.
He believes the recipe for happiness has three ingredients. Honesty.
If they ask you a favour you must do it,
and once you've done it there's no going back!
Caution.
We're betting on Palermo's victory at the "Totonero".
- 5,000 lira! - What good's that going to do?
And to be happy with what one has.
She's my mother, Pia, and she's way less quiet than my father,
partly by nature and partly because she's a teacher,
but she hasn't got a school, she keeps taking competitive exams
but there's always someone who gets there before her.
They've flung me right down at the bottom.
- What do you mean? - Yes,
passed by people who came after me up to last year.
She's Angela, my sister, she's 6 years older than me.
She finds us all disgusting lately.
Apparently it's normal for girls of her age.
Women must be free, how often must I repeat it?
But she seems totally mental, there's no way of reasoning with her.
Mum, Karl Marx says that each...
- Darling! Karl Marx is dead, okay? - Is he?
Then there's my uncle Massimo, mum's brother.
He's a wildlife officer, but none of us has ever seen him work.
Oh, sorry.
I think he needs the map to find his office.
Have you made changes here?
He boasts he's the only one of us who knows how to live
and even if he's the opposite of my father
and they don't get along too well...
We have a hero!
I really love him because nothing's forbidden for him.
Hey! This thing about waiting 3 hours after you've eaten is women's bullshit!
Come on, jump in! Go!
So this is us, and as my father always says, we mustn't complain
because in those days Italy was a real mess.
Those were the Years of Lead, we had terrorism, the crisis,
governments dropping like flies...
While Palermo...
Palermo's beautiful, it's always sunny
even if they say we've got the Mafia.
The Mafia can be invisible, you just don't have to think about it.
But if I'm here telling you our story
it's because at one point the Mafia came into our lives
and our lives changed.
- Who is it? - Where's that idiot of your husband?
- Have you gone mad?! - What?
Do you want to get us killed?
- Massimo! - Let go!
- They'll slaughter us all! - Hey, calm down.
You calm down!
He's turned into a hero!
Heroes don't exist here, only spies exist!
It changed so much, that one fine day
my uncle said we had to escape because of my father,
leave Palermo, Sicily.
And that maybe it wouldn't even be enough to keep us safe.
Because of that useless wretch of your husband, we must all leave!
Out, come on!
Climb in, love.
It was summer, but it all started a long time before,
in the beginning of 1979, a year we'll never forget.
Alice!
- Alice! - What's the matter?
Stop, uncle, it's Alice!
Because that's the year the Mafia declared war on us
and it started when she appeared.
Children, let's all welcome your new classmate, Alice.
- Welcome, Alice! - Welcome.
Alice is from Palermo, but she was liv- ing in Catania, where her father worked.
Now he's been transferred to Palermo, right?
Yes, my father's the new executive director of the Trinacria bank.
- There! - Wow!
And she'll be with us from today. Let's see who you can sit next to.
- Move off, sit next to Fofò. - Why?
- So she sits beside me. - No!
There's an empty place next to Fofò. So it'll be Fofò.
Come on, go and sit down.
- Hi. - Hi.
- You're a cuckold. - So are you.
There! In one go I'd discovered women, love
and sensed how complicated those two things were.
Though I still didn't imagine the tragic consequences of my discovery.
- Shit, you've all the luck. - It's not luck.
What is it then?
I focused my thoughts, "Next to me. Next to me."
And as always, when I want something I get it.
"Next to me. Next to me". It's not your super powers,
it's your father's money and you're spoilt.
- So what? Is it a sin? - Worse than a sin, it's unfair.
Hey, are you fighting over a woman?
First, we don't fight because we're friends.
Second, you don't fight over a woman.
Third, I saw her first.
- What's that supposed to mean? - She's not a picture card on the floor.
By the way, I've four Chimentis, want one?
- Wow, Chimenti, thanks. - It's okay, bye.
Sebastiano and Fofò, one poor, the other rich.
Two idiots, but my best friends.
Ball to Chimenti who flies towards the goal,
avoids a defender, then another one, strikes and... Goal!
But let's get back to us, to how things in my family
started going wrong, even if we couldn't see it yet.
Hello?
One moment.
Mum, it's for you!
Who is it?
Hello?
Yes, it's me.
Oh, good evening, tell me.
I'm sorry.
Yes... Tomorrow? Yes, I'm free tomorrow.
Sure, tomorrow morning at the school in Partinico. I'll be there.
So, my best to you, headmaster. Alright?
See you tomorrow, goodbye. Have a nice evening.
A colleague in Partinico has twisted her ligaments
and the meniscus seems to be affected too!
So...?
What's wrong, love?
- I'm an ugly person. - You're not an ugly person.
- You're actually quite sweet. - Drop it, I'm serious.
I keep wishing accidents on colleagues
so I can substitute them and when it happens I'm happy.
It's not your fault. If only they gave you a tenure status...
I'd stop! It's what I always think too.
Now, let's think, twisted ligaments is one month, two with rehab.
- Not to talk about the meniscus. - The meniscus!
But Partinico's far off, it's at least an hour away.
So? I'll get up earlier. It's just a matter of organization.
I'll deal with it all. Angela!
- I'm studying, mum. - Good girl. Good girl...
First the phone, then you call and Salvatore's always in the way!
Don't come complaining about my marks.
I'll pretend I didn't hear that.
From tomorrow your mother will be substituting a teacher in Partinico,
so I won't be home in time to cook lunch for Salvatore and your dad, so...
So what?
So I'll leave you something ready that you'll finish preparing.
- But why me? - Because you're a woman, love.
I knew it! But just for once, just once can't he cook?
How can he, dear? He's 10, what's this nonsense?
Women must be free! How often must I repeat it?
We've got a rebel at home and I hadn't noticed. Open!
While everyone was taken by Saturday night's fever and turned the page,
Angela had just bogged down in declining ideologies of the '70s,
but that wasn't certainly enough to stop my mother.
Angela, listen carefully, the sauce is ready,
you throw in the pasta, count up to 11 and drain it. Don't forget the salt.
I've put the cheese and salad in the fridge and the table's set.
- Where are we having breakfast? - At the café.
Salvatore! Are you ready?
Salvuccio, are you still in bed? It's awfully late!
I always thought it looked like a mushroom, but it's a heart.
Come on, it's late!
I'd gone totally mental too now.
Salvù, get something inside you because lunch is very high-risk today.
- Mario, is the toilet open? - Yes.
Hello, an "iris" pastry, please.
Here you are.
- I'll have an "iris" too. - Coming up.
I've made you want one too, haven't I?
Each day I tell myself I'll renounce,
but when I pass by, they seem to look at me, call me and I can't resist.
- If you know, then why do you come? - To see if I resist.
- Sorry, are you eating it here? - I'm taking it away.
- Are you testing your resistance too? - It's not for me, it's for someone.
Then I'd say you really care about this someone.
Yes, quite.
Mark my words, if you walk out of here and eat the "iris" straight away
it means you like this someone.
If you eat it before you get to school, it means you care for the someone.
If the "iris" gets safely to destination, then you're really in love.
Take care, bye.
- How much is it? - 115.
- Who were you talking to? - I don't know.
- Let's hurry up! - Goodbye.
That man was Boris Giuliano, head of the Palermo flying squad
and he was one of the best policemen in the whole world,
but I didn't know it yet
and couldn't imagine his story would intertwine with ours.
- Hi. - Hi.
- I've brought you something. - What?
So?
A parking space!
No! He's forgotten his satchel, what a head!
What a head!
It's green! What are you doing? Come on!
What's the matter?
- Hi. - Hi.
- This is for you. - Thanks.
- That cuckold's brought her an "iris". - You could've thought about it.
Hey, what is he doing?
Is he mad?
They've killed him! Help him! No!
Filù!
Help!
Filù, no!
Filù!
He was Filadelfio Aparo, from the flying squad, one of Boris Giuliano's men.
Don't move and no-one will notice.
Sorry, I must leave you a minute.
A living archive, the photographic brain of the flying squad.
He'd caught a lot of mafiosi.
That's why he'd got a commendation and special leave
that started that morning.
Here's number one, bravo!
Now eat, sleep, relax, but above of all make your wife happy.
I've already got 3 kids, sir. I've made my wife happy!
You've made her very happy!
Well done, number one, congratulations!
The living archive was now dead
and my father had seen something, he was a witness,
the worst thing that could happen to a Christian in Palermo, after death.
Victim of a hideous crime,
a superintendent of the Palermo flying squad.
His name was Filadelfio Aparo, 43, wife and three children.
He was killed by a gang of three people at 08:40
as he was leaving home.
A bullet hit the leg of an old man
living in the same building as the victim.
- At last here, Giammarresi! - I didn't see anything.
- What was there to see? - No... right... nothing.
You're an hour late.
My son forgot his satchel in the car,
I noticed it here and had to go back.
And you're listening to the radio. What was it?
- Who? - You.
Me?
Nothing, the lotto results.
Was 48 drawn in Palermo?
- 48? - 48, "the dead man talking".
Sorry, isn't 47 "the dead man talking"?
- Was "the dead man talking" drawn? - No, neither 47 nor 48, not at all.
This is yours.
Thank God dad's not back yet.
Hurry up and don't eat, we're having lunch.
This is too much!
I have all these ideas and I'm a scullery maid for the men.
Salvatore, answer.
If Rosario could see me!
That was the real cause of my sister's madness, Rosario.
See you at 4 pm. I'll pick you up from school.
Shit, kids aren't what they used to be, honestly. I swear, love.
Hey, see you at 4 pm and bring loads of people along.
- Come on. - Cri!
Sweet eyes! See you at 4 pm, Nicaragua and other stuff.
Bring friends. Bye.
What's up? It's alright.
Hey, bring some smoke this afternoon.
She'd lost her head for him and he was nothing but... an idiot.
It was mum, she wanted to know if everything was okay.
The hell it's okay.
She's missed her bus, she'll be late and you have to stay with me.
No way, I must study at Danila's. Dad will look after you.
Answer! Please, dad give me 10 minutes!
Dad's not coming for lunch.
What? I've rushed home to cook and he's not coming?
I knew it, I'm like the most downtrodden of married women!
But I'm here and as dad's not coming you must stay with me this afternoon.
You're skipping lunch today.
- Why? - Because!
My father skipped lunch too that day, he had that awful burden on his stomach
and went to the only place where he thought he could share it safely.
Lorenzo, dear man, tell me, what's the matter?
- What's the matter? - Tell me.
Brother Giacinto, we're under the seal of confession here, right?
Certainly we are. Not only here, the seal's always present with me,
at home, at the café, on the bus, at the stadium, always.
The things I hear here, I swallow, I spit out and I erase.
Tell me all.
Have you heard about the murder of that policeman this morning?
I have.
I was driving in the area,
suddenly I heard shooting and a car almost hit me.
I think it was the killers' car.
I remember the model perfectly and some registration numbers too.
- What the hell do you want from me? - But...
What I want? I want your comfort.
How...? I know something that could help investigations.
I'm scared, you must give me strength, the strength to report it.
The strength to report it.
Lorenzo, you're young and don't understand certain things.
Knowledge is lack of humility.
Only He knows.
- No, but I saw it! - Let me speak!
You think you remember something and it's not right.
For example, how many years have you been coming to this church? Come on.
- A lifetime. - A lifetime.
Then don't turn round, stay still.
What's the picture in the apse on the right?
- Don't look! - On the right...
The Virgin Mary.
The Virgin Mary. Turn round. Is that the Virgin Mary?
It's the archangel...
It's the archangel Michael. And what did you say?
I was sure it was the Virgin Mary.
See? Things are right under your eyes for a lifetime and you forget them.
Let alone what you saw in a nanosecond!
You can be wrong, you see? You can be wrong and it's not nice.
Because by reporting this you could hurt instead of help.
You must forget what you mustn't remember.
Have you understood?
And peace will return in your heart.
But, Brother Giacinto, I've seen!
Lorenzo, the archangel Michael isn't the Virgin Mary, got it?
I absolve you and so on... Now go.
Nicolino, you're not bright, you know. Listen carefully to what I say.
This painting of the Virgin Mary must stay here, alright?
Don't put it in its usual place, it must stay here.
Don't nod when you won't understand. Have you understood? Alright?
Good boy.
- Stop, stop! Your papers. - Hurry up, Salvatore.
You said you had to study at Danila's.
- So? - It's not the right way.
Salvatore, this remains between us, alright?
There, good boy.
Anyway you'll learn lots of things where I'm taking you.
- Such as? - Such as being a better man,
when you'll marry and have kids.
As I said before, today's initiative, today more than yesterday,
is essential for the whole movement.
The watchwords are divorce, family law and abortion
which are only stages of a journey that is much longer than what we think
and that we haven't started yet.
Bravo!
We've a long way to go within institutions, within our homes
to obtain a true equality of rights between men and women
and we thank Claudio who's late as usual.
- Allow me to say... - Tell them, come on!
I'm telling them. Allow me to say that all this,
especially in a land like ours,
- A land like ours is a disgrace! - Yes!
So the students union will always be at your side from now on
in the struggle for democracy, rights and freedom!
- Bravo! - Tell them, Rosario!
- See how nicely he speaks? - Yes... but he's nice looking.
He's perfect and he's all mine.
- Yours? Isn't love free here? - Oh, Danila!
Friends, remember the donation box, don't do as usual.
- Hi, love! - Darling, not in front of everyone.
There, I've told you. A friend of yours? Hi, nice to meet you, Rosario.
Have you told her we have refreshments?
- Rosario? - What love?
They'll eat everything up, we'd better hurry up, right, Danila?
I didn't really like that Rosario, but I could learn about women from him.
- Lorenzo, is it you? - Yes, love.
- Hi. - Hi.
I'll turn off the cooker and be right with you.
What's the matter? Are you feeling ill?
I've only had a worse day than usual, that's all.
- I've prepared pasta and sardines. - Nice.
- Well, I had a great day. - Ah, tell me.
Each time I walk into a new classroom I feel the same emotion,
to have all those eyes looking at you as if you were God on earth.
- It touches me. - I'm glad.
I found a note from Angela.
She says she's studying at Danila's with Salvatore and they'll be back at 7.
It's 6 now.
- I must take a quick shower, love. - Then take a quick shower.
- I'm going. - Go.
Bloody...
What's wrong?
What's wrong? The water's been cut off again while I'm washing my hair!
Don't get upset, love, I'll warm you up some water. Oh God!
We're on Anelli square in Palermo, in a working-class neighbourhood
where a representative from the police has been killed
right under his house
and no-one seems to have seen anything.
Switch that thing off, the children are watching.
I'm not a child anymore
and he's got the right to know in what a revolting world we live.
Shut up, Angela.
He's the one who was at the café this morning.
- Which one? - This one!
Another policeman has been savagely killed.
Yes, killed like a dog, in broad daylight, in the street.
Apparently no-one's seen anything for the moment. Excuse me.
No-one ever sees anything in this city. Never!
Forbidden to see. Even TV, right dad?
Angela, can you eat, please?
Aren't you eating?
The cuckold saw the car and some of the registration numbers
and he wants to collaborate.
We'll shut his mouth...
and his family's.
So he'll serve as an example too.
Flat cap and sawn-off shotgun.
I told you, my father's a simple man and that's how he imagines mafia.
Rights...
Democracy...
Freedom...
Good morning, a coffee please.
- You made it then. - Hi. What?
- The "iris"... you resisted. - Yes, I resisted.
- I did too. - You? Why?
Because... there's no point now.
The person I had to give it to got one from someone else first.
So you leave her to someone else because he gave her the "iris" first?
Salvù, let's go, it's late.
He's the one who was on the telly yesterday.
- Nice to meet you, Giuliano. - Giammarresi Lorenzo.
- I'm really sorry for your colleague. - So am I.
- Let's go. Goodbye. - Goodbye. Bye, Salvatore.
Here we are. Your satchel!
- Bye, dad. - Bye, see you later.
Get out your papers.
- I haven't done anything. - Really? You'll get in worse trouble.
Here they are. Look at him!
- Hi, Salvatore. - Hi, Alice.
I wanted to tell you... I wanted to tell you...
We've still a long way to go for rights within our homes
and for opportunities of men and women.
I'll always be at your side for our homes and freedom.
I haven't understood a thing, but thanks anyway.
I'm glad to know you'll always be at my side.
Do you want to come and study at my place tomorrow?
Probably Alice had been intrigued by my strangeness,
but at that moment I thought it was thanks to Rosario's magic spell,
meaning thanks to Angela and I wanted to run and tell her.
- Where are you running? - I've got a new ball and shin guards!
- What about the old ones? - I'm selling them.
Good. Sit down, Giraudo.
For tomorrow you'll translate Seneca's version, page 22.
Do it, because I'll check everyone's.
I'll call you at seven and you'll dictate it to me?
Got it, "Torino"?
Yes, sure. I'll dictate it to you at seven.
Good.
Giammarresi, what must we do?
Nothing.
So you're answering back now?
My father didn't come home for lunch that day either.
His conscience bit harder than nightmares.
- Hello. - Hello.
- I'm looking for the flying squad. - It's here. Can I help you?
Yes, I...
I must talk to Boris Giuliano.
- Sorry, who are you? - Me?
No... that's not important...
I've some information.
- You have information? - Yes.
Wait a moment.
Obviously his conscience wasn't biting hard enough to overcome his fright.
- Hello? - He's here.
Is Giuliano in his office? There's someone asking for him.
He says he has information.
In the meanwhile my mother, despite herself,
was laying the groundwork to put her own conscience in difficulty.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye.
I'd like to confide something to you, the children are happy with you.
Your colleague Puritano is efficient, but you... you're good.
- Thank you. - I'm satisfied with your good start.
I know you must go, let me not waste anymore of your time.
- I'll see you tomorrow morning? - Certainly.
- Alright, goodbye. - Thank you.
- Goodbye, Ayala. - Goodbye, sir.
The bus... my bus...
Holy Mother, my bus!
It's gone.
- Has it gone? - Obviously, at this time.
- What do I do now? - You could've told him.
The headmaster? After just two days I've been here? No.
It's your right to go back home.
No, forget it. I'm too glad to have this job.
Anyway it's nice to have certain things said to you.
- How are you getting home now? - How am I getting home?
Nice to meet you, Antonio Ayala, section C.
Melfi Pia, section A.
- Are you going to Palermo? - Yes.
I'm going by car, if you want to seize the opportunity.
- I don't get it. - I'm offering you a lift.
Ah, I get it.
Shall we go then?
This is my first post, it only took me 10 years.
10 years rejoicing
and then feeling ashamed when a colleague had an accident.
It's precisely how I feel, but I've been waiting 16 years.
16 years always one step down on that damn waiting list.
If you're waiting for the list to go forward on its own you'll be lucky!
- What do you mean? - No, nothing.
Hey, what the hell are you doing?
Pia, who the hell is this?
- Do you know him? - Massimo, my brother.
- Get out. - I'm coming.
Hello.
- How the devil does this door open? - Like this.
Thanks.
- Goodbye, Pia. - Goodbye.
Pia!
Thank you.
- Hi, Massimo. - Hi.
The challenging look in his eyes, he was provoking me,
with his convertible car, but I'll convert that head of his!
Are you telling me who he is?
A colleague. A kind colleague who gave me a lift because I missed my bus.
A colleague? A colleague you've known two days.
Massimo, I'm not 15 anymore for you to decide
what your sister does or doesn't do, who she can talk to and who she can't!
- Pia, you're still my sister. - Yes...
And I understand, because with that husband you've got...
Oh God, there he goes again!
I never stopped, I've been saying the same thing for years.
If you'd listened to me 20 years ago
you wouldn't be going to Partinico for a bloody substitution.
- Living in this revolting building. - It's historical.
Historical means old.
- This wretched home. - Have you finished?
Can I wash my hands at the tap or do I have to buy a bottle?
- Water's off in half of Palermo. - Half of it, precisely.
The washing up!
If you had a proper husband you'd be in the other half.
Listen, I personally don't give a damn, it's for my nephew and niece.
What example is Lorenzo giving them?
In fact one's become a feminist.
All we need is for the other one to become a faggot!
- Hi, uncle. - Massimo!
How could I know?
Hey, Salvatore!
What's this? You have a guest and you don't greet him?
Then one feels free to say things they shouldn't say.
- What's happened? - The table...
It's nothing's, Pia.
- Tell me, you still like women, right? - A lot.
If someone comes messing about in your home, what do you do?
- I'll break his horns. - Good, Salvuzzo!
Come, show me your strength in an arm wrestling.
What's this face? You must snarl... look bad.
You must've understood,
my uncle Massimo was obsessed with my "sentimental" education.
Come on, turn. Salvù, the secret is that cars are like women,
you must make them feel you're confident and strong.
Go, turn! Accelerate! Go, go!
Accelerate, go!
A pilot! Yes, go!
Straighten up, turn!
Shit, what a crash! Move over, let's get out of here!
Bloody hell!
As he always seemed to know everything about how the world worked
and he never had any doubts, I believed everything he said.
The car the killers used was found burned
in a citrus grove on the road to Altofonte.
The theory of the Mafia matrix or at least a crime matured...
What's this about the Mafia? The Mafia doesn't exist.
No doubt it has something to do with women.
It's for women that one dies in Palermo.
...one of the best men of the Palermo flying squad.
The news that the car was burned right after the crime
was a great relief for my father.
It meant his lack of courage hadn't affected investigations
and his testimony couldn't have helped.
As for me, I was terrorized. Terrorized by my uncle's words.
No doubt it has something to do with women.
It's for women that one dies in Palermo. Everyone knows.
Wait here.
Let's go.
Also because he wasn't the only one I'd heard say those words.
He must've been a jealous husband, an affronted brother.
No doubt it has something to do with women.
Did they shoot him in the back?
Then it's to do with women.
What does the paper say?
Only crap. This stuff has to do with women.
True.
- Hi, Salvatore. - May I ask you something?
- Sure you can. - Is it true one can die for women?
Yes, you can die. They take your heart and never give it back again.
If he said so too, then it had to be true.
I had the choice between love and death.
- Hi, Salvatore. - Hi, Alice.
Today mum has to go to Isola delle Femmine to see our garden.
- I have to go with her. - Alright, let's make it another time.
No, I've asked her, you're coming too. It's lovely, we're on the beach.
- No. - Why?
I don't want to die, Alice!
Are you coming with me to Isola delle Femmine?
Sure.
What's the matter now? Are you ill?
- I'm sorry. - About what?
I'm sorry for Alice.
And I'm sorry for Fofò too.
Yes, because at that point I knew what Fofò would have to face
by going to Isola delle Femmine.
I've a new ball, new shin guards, Alice. I've everything I want!