original title:
’78 - Vai piano ma vinci
directed by:
cast:
Daniele Ronco, Gianmarco Aragno, Juan Carlos Cid Esposito
screenplay:
cinematography:
editing:
music:
production:
country:
Italy
year:
2017
film run:
52'
format:
colour
status:
Ready (20/10/2017)
festivals & awards:
Italy, 1978
Pier Felice Filippi was 23 years old, when he was kidnapped by the Mafia. After 76 days of captivity, Pier succeeded in escaping from his captors and once free set about to ensure the immediate arrest of all those involved with his kidnapping.
This “movie/documentary” is the story of his escape.
During the’70’s, Italy was living through the now infamous, “Years of Lead”. In this time, the Italian Mafia concentrated their efforts in the criminal activity of human kidnappings.
Pier’s abduction was unique, as escape was unheard of, so much so, that his kidnapping was extensively covered by more than 300 newspaper’s articles. These articles, ranged from how he managed to escape, to even questioning whether the whole event was just a figment of his imagination!!
His father, Giors, a well known industrialist, wanted to negotiate direcly with the kidnappers without following the police procedures.
Meanwhile, Pier was held captive, in a farm shack by his kidnappers.
Thankfully, due to his keen interest in off-road rally driving, he possessed a thorough knowledge of all the farm roads around his village. This allowed him to recognize and identify the locality, of where he was being held and in a forced letter of plea written to his family, he wisely inserted some sentences, whose first letters, when read vertically, spelt out the phrase “I am near SV (Savona)”
Just when a solution was insight, the kidnappers relocated him to another hideaway, dashig every hope he held for freeedom. Pier had to start all over again and plot a new escape plan.
The story follows two parallel points of view:
Giors by trying to reach an “agreement” with the Mafia and to furthermore, raise the demanded ransom on the black market.
Pier who knew that he had to devise an escape plan, if he was to be reunited with his family and fiancé. He faced three challeges: his chained and padlocked leg, the locked attic hatch and the constant overseeing guard.
He bravely managed to achieve the impossible and now, close to 40 years later wishes to share his story.