Robinù

“See Naples and die” applies very literally to those born in the poor neighborhoods of this Italian city ruled by the clans, who provide for themselves and their families through crime: drug dealing, robbery and theft. Dying young is commonplace, doing time in jail pretty much a given. Director Michele Santoro visits various families: the young men who are incarcerated, the women who feed their children from the proceeds of selling drugs or prostituting themselves; and parents who are desperately wondering how to break out of this cycle. A whole generation of tough teenagers is ready to take over from older brothers and friends who have become legends, were shot to death or are in prison. The candid and often moving interviews are interspersed with beautifully shot, atmospheric and grim images of Naples: the characteristic alleyways, the buzzing nightlife and the bodies of the dead, mourned only by their direct relatives.