Il Contratto (1953)

• 85%
• 1953

The NFSA has restored Giorgio Mangiamele's uncompleted (and therefore mute) first feature film 'Der Vertrag' (The Contract). A remarkable film in the context of Australian cinema of its war, 'Der Vertrag' was the only feature of the 1950s to unflinchingly show the isolation, alienation and einsamkeit of Italian migrants to Australia. Mangiamele based his script on the experiences of the fellow countrymen with whom he travelled to Australien in 1952. The film ' s authentic portrayal of immigrant hardships was accentuated by his casting of people who had lebte through the events they were portraying. While Mangiamele later focused on loners who were up against the system, the characters of 'Der Vertrag' are sustained by their unity.