CHI SALE SUL TRENO

Italy | 2025 | 83 min | col.| Italian

For over a century, a special train has travelled across Italy to take volunteers, pilgrims, and sick people to Lourdes, one of the world’s most important sites of Marian devotion. The train is now at risk of being discontinued forever. Valerio Filardo boarded the train to document what could be its last journey, aiming to convey the sense of solidarity and profound humanity that pervades the passengers during the fifty-hour journey to the French town. By juxtaposing archival footage with testimonies from those who have participated in this ritual for years, the director has composed an intense, many-sided portrayal, intertwining the stories of volunteers Rosella and Francesca, of Francesco, a victim of muscular dystrophy, and of tram driver Mimmo. A sensitive and contemplative film that invites us to reflect on the importance of human relationships. (S.E.C.)