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The Sky is Falling

Directed by Andrea & Antonio Frazzi

Italy | 102 minutes | 2000

Italian, English, German with English subtitles

Adapted from Lorenza Mazzetti's acclaimed autobiographical novel inspired by her experiences in WWII Tuscany, The Sky is Falling is a coming-of-age tale that pits the emotional growth of its young protagonists against the encroaching horrors of war. In 1944, newly-orphaned pre-teen sisters Penny and Baby come to live in the Tuscan villa of their Uncle Wilhelm and his wife, Katchen (Isabella Rossellini). Wilhelm, a German-Jewish intellectual, and Katchen subtly discourage the pro-Mussolini and fascist sympathies the girls inherited from their late father, and Penny and Baby gradually make friends in their new surroundings and become somewhat smitten with their uncle and his group of cultured friends. As war rages around them, Wilhelm receives warnings from the local priest to flee with his family to Switzerland. He refuses, putting his loved ones at risk. Everything comes to a climax as the family members, who are awaiting the arrival of Italy's British allies, are caught off-guard by the return of the Nazis to their small town.
Foreign Title Il Cielo Cade
Director Andrea & Antonio Frazzi
Countries of Production Italy
Year of Presentation 2000
Language(s) Italian, English, German with English subtitles
Premiere Status
Runtime 102 minutes
Principal Cast Isabella Rossellini, Jeroen Krabbé, Barbara Enrichi, Luciano Virgilio
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