Italianetz (2005)

Director:

Andrei Kravchuk

Writer:

Andrei Romanov (writer)

Release Date:

22 September 2005 (Russia)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

In Russia, Every Orphan Longs for Adoption. Vanya Has Other Plans...To Find His Mother At All Costs

Plot:

Set in 2002, an abandoned 5-year-old boy living in a rundown orphanage in a small Russian village is adopted by an Italian family.

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Italian | Orphanage | Orphan | Adoption

Awards:

6 wins

Cast

Kolya Spiridonov	...	Vanya Solntsev
Mariya Kuznetsova	...	Madam
Nikolay Reutov	...	Grisha
Jurij Ickov	...	Headmaster
Denis Moiseenko	...	Kolyan
Sasha Sirotkin	...	Sery
Polina Vorobieva	...	Nataha
Olga Shuvalova	...	Irka
Dima Zemlyanko	...	Anton
Dariya Lesnikova	...	Mukhin's Mother
Rudolf Kuld	...	Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vladimir Shipov	...	Bloke
Andrei Yelizarov	...	Timokha

Also Known As:

Итальянец (Russia)
The Italian (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual content, language and thematic issues.

Runtime:

90 min | Canada:99 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:7 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Brazil:12 | Japan:PG-12 | USA:PG-13

Company:

Lenfilm Studio

Trivia:

Russia's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006)

A truly beautiful film

A truly beautiful, heart wrenching film 'The Italian' moved me so very much. Surely a filmmaker sets out to touch his audience and make them feel the pain of his or her characters and certainly we are drawn straight into the little heart of the young, innocent and passionate Vanya. I can not imagine a soul in the audience that would not want to instantly wrap Vanya in their arms to protect him and then take him home with them! The Italian is shot against a harsh cold Russian landscape and yet there is a certain love between the orphans at the orphanage,who only have each other to love and protect them and keep them on the right track. Certainly Italy is seen as the land of warmth, love and opportunity in comparison. But the real warmth and love in this film resonates from this wonderful little actor behind Vanya. He could not be much older than the 6yr old he plays and yet he was able to convey more emotion, devastation and warmth than many of the adult actors i have watched of late. Highly recommended!!!