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The “Trains of Happiness,” or Treni della Felicità, emerged as a moving symbol of postwar perseverance in Italy. The Italian Communist Party launched this effort in the late 1940s to rescue children from the devastation of a war-torn society.

Over 70,000 children from impoverished Southern Italy were given the chance for a better life in the more opulent North due to the program’s humanitarian and practical goals. It’s a survival story with Dickensian overtones, where the promise of warmth, food, and education is called like a siren song. However, irony abounds; many families were originally dubious, believing their children might be pawns in a political game or worse.

The film depicts a civilization dealing with the memories of war against the backdrop of Naples in 1946. Poverty and disease are pervasive, casting long shadows over the lives of its residents. The significance of this milieu cannot be emphasized; it captures...

World War II left Italy in ruins, and many who survived faced a harsh reality: figuring out how to keep their families alive after they were left with nothing. So when the nation’s Communist Party offered a program called Treni della Felicità, or Happiness Trains, many parents hesitantly signed up their children for the journey — one that would send them north, to families in a more prosperous part of the country. Based on the historical novel of the same name, Cristina Comencini’s film The Children’s Train follows a mother who signs up her son for the Happiness Trains as a last resort, and how their separation affected their lives.

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In 1994, Amerigo (Accorsi) is a renowned violinist who plays to sold-out crowds in Italy. Before a show one night, he gets a call from his mother, Antonietta...

There are plenty of World War Two films that discuss the aftermath of the ordeal and how people in Europe were affected. The children were vulnerable as there was a shortage of jobs and food post-1945 when the whole continent was submerged in the Cold War. The Children’s Train, a Netflix Italy Original film, is based on the book of the same name by Viola Ardone. The story focuses on the life of a young boy and his mother who are battling poverty in Naples, Italy, post the Second World War.

Spoilers Ahead

When did Amerigo begin to reminisce about his childhood?

The Children’s Train begins with the adult Amerigo heading to the concert hall for his performance. Amerigo was a violinist, and on reaching the venue, he received a phone call that let him know that his mother had passed away. Amerigo was numb, and his colleague offered to cancel the concert,...

The Children’s Train is a one-of-a-kind story set in Italy post the Second World War. The entirety of Europe was in shambles, and Italy was one of the many countries that was facing rampant poverty as there was a lack of jobs and food in several parts of the country. Southern Italy was massively hit by these difficulties, and it’s this scenario The Children’s Train is based on. The children and their mothers play a major role in the film. These are the characters that make the film interesting and emotional at the same time.

Spoilers Ahead

Amerigo

Christian Cervone, the child actor, portrays the role of an eight-year-old Amerigo, who was born in Naples to Antoinette. From childhood he and his mother have had a complicated relationship. He is aware his father is in America seeking fortune while Amerigo and his mother are barely scraping by because of...

“The Children’s Train” is an Italian movie directed by Cristina Comencini. With Barbara Ronchi and Serena Rossi.

“The Children’s Train,” a film set in post-World War II Italy, has made its way to Netflix. The story unfolds across two regions of Italy: a small town near Modena in the north and Naples in the south, highlighting the stark contrasts between these areas in the aftermath of the conflict.

The narrative centers on Amerigo, a young boy from Naples who is sent north to live with a communist family for a period. During his stay, Amerigo experiences a joyful time with the local community and forms a bond with his foster mother, Denna. However, his eventual return to Naples forces him to confront the harsh realities of his hometown and his relationship with his birth mother, Antonietta.

Based on Viola Ardone’s novel, this Netflix offering presents a simple yet touching...

Set in 1940s Italy, “The Children’s Train” (Original title: Il treno dei bambini) is a tragic tearjerker now streaming on Netflix. Co-written by director Cristina Comencini, the film is based on Viola Ardone’s eponymous book. The story follows seven-year-old Amerigo, a boy from a struggling family in war-torn Naples, navigating life amidst poverty and conflict. Subsequently, his single mother makes a difficult decision to send him to the greener pastures in the North to protect his life. Christian Cervone stars as the young kid while Serena Rossi plays his mother. Barbara Ronchi plays the woman whose family adopts him.

Spoilers Ahead

The Children’s Train Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

Set in the 1940s, Cristina Comencini’s “The Children’s Train” (Il treno dei bambini) follows a young boy from Naples being sent to the Northern part of the country to lead a better life, growing up to be an accomplished musician.

Netflix’s Italian drama film, The Children’s Train, captures the trauma World War II inflicted on children. Growing up in Naples, Amerigo’s childhood memories involved bombings and hunger. To protect him, his mother decided to hand him over to the communists. They promised to keep children safe by sending them over to Northern Italy. Some families in the North supported the Allied forces, and they were willing to host the children of the South in their houses until it was safe for them to return home. These trains were known as the “happiness trains,” a rescue operation that was conducted to help children in the South escape poverty and disease. Amerigo could not fathom leaving his mother, but he did not have a choice. There was barely enough food at home to eat, all his clothes had stains and holes in them, his education was on hold, and there...

The tenderness of a children’s tale often comes from the point of view of the film you’re watching. If one writes from the eyes of the adults who push the narrative, it never truly hits the mark in terms of sincerity when it is a “kid’s film.” The Children’s Train makes Amerigo the narrator, and the whole movie is presented from his point of view. This makes the movie hauntingly beautiful. This is a tale of war-torn families finding love and hope in a time of sorrow as a young boy travels from Naples to the north of Italy to recuperate and return to his home in springtime. While overtly this is a story about moving away from poverty and trying to make a life for oneself, The Children’s Train is truly impactful because of the human connections made in the film. What truly stands out about...

December is the perfect month to relax with a binge or two and Netflix is providing plenty of new options.

Leading the hype charge for the final month of 2024 is the hotly anticipated second season of “Squid Game.” The story of the runaway cultural phenomenon picks up where Season 1 left off. Also featured in December are the first two live NFL games on the streamer. Both the Chiefs/Steelers and Ravens/Texans games will stream back-to-back on Christmas Day.

Other notables are the “30 for 30” Collection, the latest season of “Virgin River,” the first “Transformers” film and Sabrina Carpenter’s Christmas special, “A Nonsense Christmas.”

See the full list of what’s coming to Netflix in December 2024 below.

Dec. 1

“A Different World” Season 1-6

“Faster”

“Run All Night”

“Transformers”

“The Dark Tower”

“Top Five”

Dec. 2

“30 for 30” Collection

Dec. 3

“Sleeping Princess”

“Fortune Feimster: Crushing It”

Dec. 4

“Churchill at War”

“That Christmas”

“The Children’s Train...

Keira Knightley’s long-awaited return to a high profile project; Sabrina Carpenter and friends getting everyone ready for Christmas; Angelina Jolie bringing the legendary Maria Callas to life; Tyler Perry telling the story of a women and Poc only WWII Army unit; the NFL attempting to institute a new streaming Christmas tradition; and the return of one of biggest TV series of the 21st century are some of the highlights among the new films and series hitting Netflix in December.

After a quiet few years, Keira Knightley returns as a lead in Netflix’s spy drama Black Doves, which launches on Dec. 5. In the show, Knightley plays Helen Webb, a dedicated wife and mother and professional spy. Having passed her politician husband’s secrets to the Black Doves, a shadowy group, Webb’s covert identity is endangered when a lover (Andrew Koji), is murdered and she looks to avenge his death.

The Netflix December 2024 originals, movies, and TV series have been revealed and can be viewed below. The streaming service has also announced the list of movies and TV series leaving next month.

The December schedule features such titles as The Dragon Prince Season 7, Jentry Chau vs the Underworld, Maria, Mary, No Good Deed, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Polo, and Queer Eye Season 9.

Squid Game Season 2

Also coming are Squid Game Season 2, The Great British Baking Show: Holidays Season 7, The Six Triple Eight, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 3, That Christmas, and Virgin River Season 6.

The lineup includes the comedy specials Fortune Feimster: Crushing It, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall, Ronny Chieng: Love To Hate It, and Your Friend Nate Bargatze. Netflix will also stream two NFL games and the A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter special.

Netflix presented its first international showcase yesterday with a look at what is coming down down the pike. Below is a preview of what’s on deck for feature films. Of note, was the title announcement and treatment of the Japanese movie Bullet Train Explosion. Also made a official was Troll 2, the sequel to the streamer’s most watched non-English language film from Norway. Roar Uthaug returns to the director’s chair.

Also of note, the streamer dated the Mexican movie Los Dos Hemisferios de Lucca from Marina Chenillo for Jan. 31 next year.

Not made official by the streamer was a part two to their widely watched shark movie of 102.3M viewers, Under Paris, from director Xavier Gens and starring Oscar nominated The Artist actress, Bérénice Bejo.

Related: Shah Rukh Khan & Netflix Ready Series Set In Bollywood Film Industry

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria announced the slate at...

"He forgot everything up North, even his mom." Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for The Children's Train, a story set in Italy right after World War II about kids being sent to the north of the country. Based on Viola Ardone's bestselling novel "Il Treno dei Bambini" being turned into a grand feature film. Set in the the cities of Naples and Modena just after WWII, The Children's Train follows the life of Amerigo Speranza, a seven-year-old boy who sets off on an extraordinary journey. It explore themes such as poverty, resilience, and humanity, offering an insight exciting and profound of an Italy marked by war but full of hope. With a star-studded cast featuring Serena Rossi, Barbara Ronchi, Stefano Accorsi, & Christian Cervone, and directed by the celebrated filmmaker Cristina Comencini, the film promises a poignant & emotional journey. We posted the teaser trailer earlier in 2024, now the official...

Netflix is as interested in acquiring third-party titles as it is in producing original films, said Larry Tanz, Netflix VP of content for Emea.

Tanz underlined the importance of films to the streamer on a visit to Netflix’s European production hub in Tres Cantos on the outskirts of Madrid.

“What we care about is bringing the best films and series to our members,” said Tanz. “If it’s a huge film from Constantin that’s in theatres and then on Netflix, if our members love it, that’s great. If it’s something that we commission, that’s great as well.

Exclusive: It was on the set of Sky and HBO’s We Are Who We Are that Lorenzo Mieli asked Francesca Manieri, a screenwriter known for crafting stories about female empowerment, to pen a TV series about Rocco Siffredi, the infamous hardcore porn star. Initially, she could barely believe it. “I laughed,” she recalls. “I was sure he was joking.”

Only he wasn’t, and after a week of deliberation, she said yes, having realized it would give her the chance to explore “the core of contemporary masculinity.”

Manieri — known for films such as Rose Island, Italian Race, The First King and The Miracle and as co-writer of We Are Who We Are — went away and drew up her plan for a series that would allow her to “turn the tables” on the narratives men have dictated to women for, well, probably ever: a series about what porn represents and how modern masculinity is constructed.