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English Titles M

My Brother's Summer

Original title: Estato di mio Fratello, L'
Italy, 2005

Director: Reggiani, Pietro
Production company: Nuvola Film
Age recommendation: 10 years and up

Synopsis:
Short version:
A chicken and a knife on a kitchen table is all Sergio, a boy with imaginative mind, needs to become a doctor in an operation room. After his father has let slip out the possibility of a new brother or sister 9-year-old Sergio starts to imagine his life with them. Eventually the brother becomes an obsession for Sergio and drives him to actions that shock the family.

Long version:
Verona, 1970. Like every summer, Sergio and his parents leave their apartment in Verona to go in their beautiful country’s house. Sergio founds there his own magical kingdom, thanks different animals, open spaces, and all opportunities to let his imagination run wild.
This idyllic lifestyle is interrupted when Sergio's parents announce the arrival of another child. In the long summer days spent with his parents, Sergio fantasies upon the arrival of this brother and upon the consequences. He sees his fate as tragic: he will have to give up his many privileges, including his blissful solitude and the complete attention of his parents.
This leads him to daydream about killing his intrusive little brother.
Unfortunately for him, his wishes come true and his mother loses the baby. Sergio is overcome by guilt and obsessed by images of his brother.
He must negotiate for forgiveness from the imaginary boy.
Sergio's brother first demands equal punishment ("You must die too"), but finally, with much difficulty, Sergio convinces him to settle for an offering of blood, drawn from a cut in his abdomen.
This sanguinary act achieves its purpose, bringing the two brothers together and making them inseparable playmates. Sergio finally sees the positive side of having a "best friend". But sharing his life and his possessions with an imaginary human being becomes for Sergio a foolish sacrifice in the long run.
At the end of the summer, Sergio renounces his unusual playmate.
On the trip back to Verona, however, he thinks about the brother he never had. He realises that he has missed the beautiful opportunity of having a real brother.

Festivals:
Tribeca 2005, Oulu 2005, Stockholm Junior 2006, NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2006, TIBURON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006, BERGAMO FILM MEETING 2005: Rosa Camuna d'Oro; FLANDERS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL GENT 2005: World Cinema;
MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL 2005: First Films World Competition; SHANGHAI FILM FESTIVAL 2005: Panorama; Zion International Film Festival 2005: Audience Award; Daytona Beach Film Festival 2005: Panorama; Annapolis Film Festival 2005: World Cinema; Rehoboth Beach Film Festival 2005: World Cinema

World sales address/es:
Nuvola Film (I)

Sold to:
SelfCinema (It)