Friendship and Hard Work Amid Italy’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in “Fratelli Carbonai”

The New Yorker

A young man from Mali carves out a life for himself in an ancient trade in the Calabrian mountains, when the nation’s politics take a hard right turn.Film by Felix Bazalgette and Joshua Hughes

Transcript

02:00Hey auntie, a Coca-Cola!

02:04A Coca-Cola!

02:07Hey, slow down, slow down.

02:19It's too much.

02:21How do you turn it?

02:23It's too much and the back doesn't close.

02:25I don't understand.

02:27I don't understand, no.

02:29The back doesn't close. How am I supposed to get the truck up?

02:32Tell me.

02:34I don't know how to drive a truck.

02:50I came to Italy when I was little.

02:53I can't work.

02:56That's what helps me.

02:59I call him, he goes to the bar and takes the money.

03:02It helps me a lot.

03:04It helps me a lot.

03:08When I was angry,

03:10that's what I saw, no?

03:12He immediately recognized me.

03:14Bad-tempered, bad-tempered.

03:16Things that weigh you down.

03:18Things that serve you.

03:20You don't have to think so much.

03:22I'm sorry.

03:24They're very good.

03:26They're big, they're big, big, big, big.

03:31They're not good,

03:33but they're a little different, you see?

03:35They're not bad.

03:39It's hurting.

03:41It's hurting a lot.

03:43It's hurting a lot.

03:45Go up, go up, go up.

03:47Go up.

03:49Move it.

03:51It's hurting a lot.

03:53It's hurting a lot.

03:55It's hurting a lot.

03:57It's hurting a lot.

04:02It's hurting a lot.

04:04It's hurting a lot.

04:09The projections of the Italian election night

04:11indicate an Italy that steers right

04:13from the first exit points.

04:15I remain firm on my position.

04:17Naval block along the coast of the Ligurian Sea.

04:20Opening of the oil fields in Africa.

04:22Evaluation in Africa of who has the right

04:24to be a refugee.

04:26Distribution only of refugees in 27 countries

04:28of the European Union.

04:30The thing that you hear is...

04:39My father used to be a mechanic.

04:41He always helped me.

04:47Because then there are no documents, you see?

04:49There's nothing.

04:52He lost it when he came here.

04:54Then to find it again...

04:58He didn't send his statue, you see?

05:02He's a person who works, you see?

05:04He's not a vagabond.

05:06He's a person who works,

05:08so his father always helped him.

05:10Because he's someone who works, you see?

05:12He works.

05:16And those who work help him.

05:18A vagabond doesn't help him, you see?

05:22A vagabond doesn't help him.

05:24A vagabond doesn't help him.

05:48I'm with my father.

05:50I'm with my father.

05:52I go on with my father's job, you see?

05:54If I go somewhere else,

05:56they have to command me.

05:58Nobody commands me here.

06:06This is what makes you stay, you see?

06:08What makes you stay,

06:10what makes you want this,

06:12nobody commands you.

06:14It's not like Luigi comes

06:16and you tell me to do this or that.

06:18You stay calm, do what you want.

06:20When you want you get up, when you want you sit down.

06:28Let's continue another time, come on.

06:36Italians are not the same as us, you see?

06:38We are foreigners.

06:42So why the fuck am I here?

06:44I have to behave well, you see?

06:46I have to behave well, you see?

06:54Italians don't live here.

06:56You understand?

07:06But a foreigner

07:08should always be careful.

07:16You understand?

07:22You don't want to speak?

07:24You want to talk?

07:26No, no, no.

07:28I'm not going to talk.

07:30You think

07:32that you can do this?

07:34I'm not going to let you do this.

07:36So you think you can do this?

07:38You think you can do this?

07:40No, no.

07:42You think you can do this?

07:44You think you can do this?

07:46No.

07:50So what do I do?

07:52You don't let me speak.

07:54You don't let me talk.

07:56You don't let me talk.

07:58You don't let me talk.

08:00So what do I do?

08:02You don't let me talk.

08:04It's not fair.

08:06This is your decision.

08:08Your decision.

08:10Ok?

08:12They told me the whole election campaign that we scare people.

08:42But who?

08:45Those who dream of a proud Italy.

08:49Those who want to be proud of their nation, of their people, of their flag.

08:55That Italy is not afraid. That Italy is ready.

08:59We are ready.

09:01And you will see it together on September 25th.

09:05Sunday from 7 to 23.

09:08Until the last vote to restore freedom to this nation.

09:14To restore its pride.

09:25The politics in Italy are bad.

09:30They eat and eat and do nothing.

09:33This is not the land of Italy.

09:35There is Salvini.

09:37From the North League.

09:39The Moroccans, the Africans, they go back.

09:43Instead of Lampedusa, Sicily, they bring them to Italy.

09:48They have no destiny.

09:51Do you understand what I mean?

09:53Are these policies popular here in Calabria?

09:58Yes, there is Calabria, there is Italy.

10:02But there is no one here to speak for you.

10:09I have to go to a café.

10:17I have to go to a cafe.

10:21I don't talk much.

10:23I drink tea all the time.

10:26I'm not going to die, I just want to go home.

10:30I'm going to go home.

10:33I'm going to make you a cigarette.

10:37I'm going to make you a cigarette.

10:40I'm going to make you a cigarette.

10:48I want to go home, I want to see my mom and dad.

10:51I want to see my sister and brother.

10:57I haven't seen my mom and dad in 12 years.

11:0112 years.

11:03So, I'm sure it's going to be difficult.

11:09If you don't see your mom and dad, you're fine, right?

11:12That's what I think.

11:16We joke, I joke with him.

11:19But we're friends, you know?

11:23Always human.

11:27It changes color, but it's always the same.

11:42Do you see here? There's a gap.

11:45There's a gap here.

11:47You put the wood, you understand?

11:49Only where there's a gap, you can't put it on top.

11:52Otherwise, look.

11:54If you put it here, it stays.

11:56If you put it here, it doesn't stay, you see?

11:58If you put it on top, it doesn't stay, you see?

12:01Instead, if you put it here...

12:06It has to have its place.

12:13I hope Ivan likes doing this job.

12:17Unfortunately, in Calabria, there's no work.

12:21In Calabria, there's only hunger.

12:25Because they want everything for themselves, you see?

12:28The state only wants it for itself.

12:35I never wanted to do this job, you see?

12:39It's too dirty every night, too heavy.

12:42I never wanted to do it.

12:44Unfortunately, I fell, how do you say?

12:48With my face in the shit, you see?

12:54And I have to work like a bastard.

12:58You see?

13:12I'm sorry.

13:22Another tragedy on the Italian coast.

13:25The bodies of 43 migrants have been recovered from the sea

13:28on the beach in the town of Steccato di Cutro in Crotonese.

13:32Among them, numerous children, a newborn and many women.

13:43The Italian Coast Guard is investigating the case of the migrants.

13:47The Italian Coast Guard is investigating the case of the migrants.

13:50The Italian Coast Guard is investigating the case of the migrants.

13:55Ah, here is the government, here on the left.

13:59You see, the beach is always ahead, but there's no money, you see?

14:06They make me pay for it.

14:12I'm an African.

14:14I'm an African here, and all of them are Italian.

14:20So all of them are my friends.

14:32They have already done everything.

14:36The passport was found by hand, but the documents were not found by hand yet.

14:43So I have to wait a little longer.

15:00I don't want to go to Africa.

15:03I want to find my mother, I want to find my friends.

15:07I don't want to talk on the phone.

15:13What is important is that I stay with my parents, with my family, with my friends.

15:20But distance is too much for me.

15:29I can't do this, I can't find the money.

15:42I can't do this, I can't find the money.

15:48I can't do this.

16:12I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:15I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:18I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:21I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:24I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:27I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:30I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:33I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:36I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:39I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:42I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:45I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:48I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:51I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:54I can't do this, I can't find the money.

16:57I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:00I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:03I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:06I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:09I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:12I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:15I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:18I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:21I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:24I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:27I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:30I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:33I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:36I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:39I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:42I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:45I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:48I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:51I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:54I can't do this, I can't find the money.

17:57I can't do this, I can't find the money.

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