In a remote village in the Calabrian countryside, the lives of two very different characters intersect almost silently, against a backdrop of rural depopulation. Michelangelo Frammartino’s Il Dono is released in a beautiful 4K restoration.
An elderly man and a young woman are the foundations around which Il Dono gently swirls. Michelangelo Frammartino’s feature debut from 2003 has received a loving 4K restoration, overseen by the director himself. If you have seen Frammartino’s previous features Il Buco or Le Quattro Volte then you’ll know what to expect.
The elderly man (Angelo Frammartino – the director’s grandfather) leads a lonely existence on his land, with only a few animals for company. Now and then a couple of the village’s few remaining younger men or boys help him with more physical jobs he can no longer manage. On one occasion, one of the men accidentally leaves his mobile phone and a pornographic image behind, and the elderly man seems somehow moved by it.
The young woman (Gabriella Maiolo) appears to be the only woman of her age left in the village. She is characterised as promiscuous, and the older women in the community try to cast out the evil spirit which they believe possesses her – but it is clear that she has learning difficulties and that the local men are taking advantage of her.
Almost as if he knows it is the last thing he will do with his life, the elderly man unexpectedly gives the girl a gift which may alleviate some of her burden.
Shot with long takes, static camera, and next to no audible dialogue, Il Dono forces the viewer to simply watch life and events happening, and focus on – or even look for – the details in the images. The absence of younger people somehow gives the village a feeling of being trapped in time; it’s not obvious when the film is set, apart from the mobile phone. But even that is a dated model and the device could be brand new to the user, or one he has inherited from relatives over the years. It’s not clear, and it doesn’t matter. The thoughtfulness and slice of humanity amid the casual abuse is timeless, and somehow leaving the camera running on a hilly Italian landscape forces the viewer to face up to how small humankind is in contrast, yet how impactful our actions towards one another can be.
I daresay Il Dono won’t be for everyone, but it will certainly please those who are not averse to some slow cinema.