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Red Like the Sky

Rosso Come Il Cielo
Director: Cristiano Bortone
Italy, 2005, 95 min
In Italian with English subtitles.
Recommended for grades 4 and up

Themes: Exceptionality, Sound, Social Justice

Mirco is a bright 10-year-old who loves going to the movies. While playing with his father’s rifle, he accidentally shoots himself and loses his sight. The year is 1971, when blind people were considered handicapped. Thus, Mirco is forced to leave family and friends to attend a school for the blind in Genoa. Life at the strict school isn’t easy, but Mirco is feisty and determined. One day he finds an old reel-to-real tape recorder, and discovers that by cutting and splicing tape he can create fairy tales by recording and editing sounds. The religious authorities that run the boarding school forbid this activity, but Mirco refuses to give up, involves his classmates, and soon they rediscover they have dreams and capacities beyond those offered by their school. Red Like the Sky is a beautifully crafted film that shows us the importance of tolerance, self-respect, and creativity. It features blind actors in many of the roles, and is based on the true story of Mirco Mencacci, a blind man who is one of Italy’s top sound designers for film.

Special thanks to the Italian Cultural Institute of Vancouver.

www.rossocomeilcielo.it/