Film Commission Torino Piemonte

In the last few years, I fell in love with rugby, a harsh sport, but more than any other, it teaches you absolute loyalty to your adversary. I started looking for books about this fantastic sport, and thanks to this newfound passion, I discovered the thrilling non-fiction book written by Massimo Calandri: 'Non puoi fidarti di gente così' ('You can't trust people like that'). I was enraptured by this amazing story: a group of young guys, on average just 22 years old, partially composed of amateurs, are selected by a South African coach to form the team that will travel to South Africa and play in the tournament. South Africa. Scrums, tacklings, defeats, hangovers, plateaus and the Atlantic coast, lions and gazelles, laughter, love, fears. Outside of the stadiums, a bewildering daily life led by the white minority during the harshest years of apartheid, with Nelson Mandela, who 9 years earlier, had been condemned to a life sentence. Thirty-five days on a different planet, literally. It was a delicate year even in Italy: between terrorist attacks (many of the players came from the university teams of Genova and Padova, where the far-left movement was developing), the historic compromis, economic crisis. A few days after the team's departure, Andreotti steps down as prime minister and is succeeded by Rumor, who in a few months would proclaim austerity. This is how this crazy adventure begins, which will lead these guys to live such profound experiences that will transform them forever: "when we left, we were boys; we return as men." Few knew what apartheid really was, and the reality left them incredulous. This collective tale creates a bridge between the sport and the great History.