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)

Not Christmas, but another miracle

It is not likely that I will find Andrei Kravchuk's first film, A Christmas Miracle< in my search for Christmas movies to get me in the spirit; but, his second film, and Russia's entry into the Oscar race is truly heartwarming and an outstanding sophomore venture for the new director.

Six-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) is being adopted from a Russian orphanage by an Italian couple. While waiting, he comes across a mother looking for her son, who has long since been adopted. He decides to find his own mother and sets out to make this happen, even though he has already be "sold." Of course, the people who sold him are trying to find him as he journeys to find his mother. Six years old and off on a journey well beyond his years. Like so many children in the world he has to grow up too fast - most because of war or tragedy like Darfur.

You will be torn by what the children at the orphanage do to survive, and you will be heartened by the strangers who help him along the way. Most of all, you will find that there are some great movies out there that do not depend on CGI or excessive violence to entertain. This is certainly one of them.