Italianetz – Итальянец (The Italian)

A very heartwarming movie about the terrible world of international adoption. Based on a true story the movie tells about the Madam doing business (selling) with an Italian couple and the selected child is very charming Vanya from a Russian orphanage. Vanya is a six years old blond boy that will steal your heart as he decides, instead of going with the rich couple, to look for his birth mother.

This is about my first Russian movie -since I started this blog- that is set in what it looks like current time and it is incredibly touching (no melodrama here) story with a superb performance by young Kolya Spiridonov that plays Vanya.

Hard to believe that is Andrei Kravchuk directorial debut as he does a great movie with a great story and just the necessary words, as when the voyage starts silences and the child expressions predominate. Fantastic!

Some consider this movie in the group of excellent recent Russian films like Andrei Zvyagintsev's "The Return" and Boris Khlebnikov and Aleksei Popogrebsky's "Roads to Koktebel" that have examined the effect of Russia’s woes on its youngest and most vulnerable citizens and have to say that I totally agree.

One of the most loyal readers of this blog mentioned that I have a “thing” with Russian directors named Andrei and well it seems that this reader is absolutely right as this is another Andrei that I will look forward to see his movies.

The movie has many nominations and wins in fests and awards including the Glass Bear –Special Mention and the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix at the 2005 Berlinale. I believe this movie has a wider audience especially among adults and I strongly suggest you do not miss it, as it is a good movie with an outstanding story that will leave you thinking about this unfortunate business.

Enjoy!!!