ENRICO VERRA

Enrico Verra (see photo), renowned Turinese film director, guides us on the discovery of San Salvario, the city district in which he shot the film "Sotto il sole nero" (Under a black sun) (2005) and the documentary "Benvenuto in San Salvario", winner of the best short film European Oscar (Berlin 1999).

Enrico: "Here we're in Turin but the contrary is also true... There is always something that reminds you of the city, like the yellow colour of buildings or the top of the Mole appearing between one crossing and another. Yet there is always something that reminds you of other places too: the Synagogue's dome is the Middle East or Jerusalem or Istanbul; the river banks of the Valentino Park seem those of the Thames, the ancient Borgo the Aosta Valley; the castle hosting the Architecture Faculty resembles France... and then you hear Arabic, African music... This is a multiethnic district: there are so many unusual stories that its impossible not to tell them!"

Sotto il sole nero tells the story of Sergio, a youth who abandons his family and Turin's suburbs to move to San Salvario and change his life.
He founds a company with a young Nigerian girl, a former prostitute, and an Ethiopian musician to produce video of non-existent shows. The film's plot narrates Sergio's love affair as well as various attempts to integrate different cultures.
It faithfully represents the area as many of the actors live here.

Benvenuto in San Salvario tells the story of a Turinese photographer who, having lost his job and his home, becomes San Salvario's immigrants' photographer.
In front of his camera they pretend to have reached success in Italy in order to send the "touched up" photos to their dear ones.

Enrico: "San Salvario is the most vivacious, contradictory and problematic part of town... the ideal space in which to travel! It is a small world inside Turin... a dreamy space, exciting and full of potential... It resembles the multiethnic neighbourhoods of capital cities, but with a difference: it isn't a ghetto because here there's stratification and communal life (one example: Islam and Jews)... and this makes it unique!
At times it may appear unreal, but this makes it even more eloquent: as for novels, fiction explains reality better...San Salvario is an open air novel!!"

Just like proper actors in a film, there are characters who embody and are able to transmit the unique spirit of San Salvario.
- Some one who, the owners of the Artintown, has winked his EYE to vitality and ferment one can breath in these streets.
- Someone, just like Agency for San Salvario's local development, who daily puts his NOSE in the activities and initiatives of this multiethnic area.
- Someone, like Marco and the Disco Revival shop ,whose EAR has listened to rhythms from all over the world.
- Someone, like the African hairdressers who have shaken HANDS with originality and the ethnic style.
- Someone, like Mohamed from Horas kebab who can make your MOUTH water irresistibly.