As an Italian, and unfortunately used to Italian bad movies, at least those that reach large distribution, interpreted by fashionable but unskilled actors and actresses, I am really proud of this rare gem within Italian cinematography. Of course, I had to trouble before finding it, but it was really worth the search.
The movie is interpreted by non-professional teenagers, and so more authentic and real. The picture escapes stereotypes about them, the problems and difficulties belonging to their age are always there, but it significantly refuses to portray, like media often do, a world of rude, bully boys and girls, and just wants to portray another possible and really existing juvenile reality. The result is a careful, delicate and funny portrait, between reality and fable, of a world of intelligent, sensitive, and emotionally fragile but deep young people. An interesting and intelligent response to box-office trash movie à la "Tre metri sopra il cielo", a totally pointless film, but adored by the Italian teens, incapable of telling anything besides banalities about them, just aimed at making money, exploiting their inner fragility and emotional distress, a movie a wouldn't allow my son or daughter to see.
"Diari" offers interesting food for thought also to adults, firstly because the difficulties and the trauma of adolescence often leave signs up to adult age, and also because the adults can't afford to be so ingenuous or stupid to think that behind that corrupted and often violent juvenile work lies a world of adults full of sense. On the contrary, I live in an adult world, which often distinguishes itself for egotistic, indifferent, and uncivilized behaviour, by no means good models for the young. The movie proves that a possible encounter between the world of the young, so full of wasted energy and the world of the adults, so empty and confused, is possible. This encounter is just the beginning of a sensible path, made up of concrete actions and care for others.
Unfortunately, Diari, the result of a project realized by a young director together with an educator, and written with the collaboration of the young actors, will probably never be seen by most young audience, a great pity, I hope teachers or educators will find it and distribute it in schools. A very precious piece of screen realism, far away from common places and didascalism, just sound and real.
