A play about adolescence that has become a cult phenomenon, a stage hit with over three-hundred sold-out performances. With audiences calling it “much more than a play”, “a life experience”, and “an emotional journey and path to knowledge”, Chi come me (Someone Like Me) has revealed a rare afterlife beyond the stage: a sensational exploit that is able to unite several generations, its impact ongoing. Directed by Andrée Ruth Shammah and based on a work by Israeli playwright Roy Chen that draws on a real-life experience, the film Chi come me takes us inside a mental health ward. Five alienated, fragile teenagers, each with an urgent need to live their lives, discover a way into their own selves through the lessons of theater. Their stories touch a raw nerve in our society, with audiences moved to identify with the actors as the documentary explores the reasons for this, starting with the last performance at the Teatro Franco Parenti in Milan.

Director's Statement

Ever since I first saw a performance of Someone Like Me, I thought it should be made into a film, due to its completeness, its perfect pacing, and the reaction shots of the actors I could use, all carefully thought-out from first to last, to the final silence.
Moreover, there was no stage, but a theater-in-the-round with the audience instead: secret, therefore, and ideal for the film camera. Lastly, with the kids and their parents before me, and like anyone else in the audience, I would experience a life moment, not mere entertainment.
So when I was finally able to make the documentary, there was nothing to do: except take the camera, breathe with the actors, follow Andrée, and listen to everyone’s voices and emotions.