''Il sogno del maratoneta'' (''The Dream of the Marathon Runner'') is an Italian

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

produced by

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terr ...

television. It is directed by

Leone Pompucci Leone Pompucci (born 15 August 1961 in Rome) is an Italian film director. Career Leone Pompucci graduated from the Avogadro institute in Rome, followed by studies at the National Santa Cecilia Conservatory. He started his career as a photogra ...

and stars

Luigi Lo Cascio Luigi Lo Cascio (born 20 October 1967) is an Italian actor. He won the David di Donatello as best actor for his starring role in ''I cento passi''. In 2012, he debuted as film director and writer with '' La città ideale''. Filmography *2000: ' ...

and

Laura Chiatti Laura Chiatti (born 15 July 1982, Castiglione del Lago, Italy) is an Italian actress and singer. She is the leading lady in two successful films: ''Ho voglia di te'', alongside Riccardo Scamarcio, and Paolo Sorrentino's third film ''The Family ...

. It was aired on television as a two-parter. It is an adaptation of the homonym book by Giuseppe Pederiali. It has been presented at the 26th

Festival international de programmes audiovisuels The ''International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes'' or ''International Documentary Festival FIPADOC'' ( (FIPA)), founded in 1987 by Michel Mitrani (1930-1996), was first held in Cannes in October 1987., In 2019, the FIPA became FIPADOC,,, an ...

(FIPA) in

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...

(France) on 25 and 26 January 2013 in the selections ''Fiction'' and ''Compétition''.

Plot

The movie is about the story of the Italian athlete

Dorando Pietri Dorando Pietri (; often wrongly spelt Petri; 16 October 1885 – 7 February 1942) was an Italian long-distance runner. He finished first in the marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London but was subsequently disqualified. Biography Earl ...

and restitutes the runner's fortunes and misfortunes at the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The start of Pietri's sporting career was a hard one. A passionate long-distance runner, like his brother Ulpiano, Dorando Pietri was rebuffed by trainer Barbisio because he was deemed to be too meager. Still, Pietri takes part in the

marathon race The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road running, road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also w ...

Carpi Carpi may refer to: Places * Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, a large town in the province of Modena, central Italy * Carpi (Africa), a city and former diocese of Roman Africa, now a Latin Catholic titular bishopric People * Carpi (people), an ancie ...

, his home town, and finishes first, ahead of Pericle Rondinella, the star runner of Barbisio's team. The day later though Rondinella was to beat Pietri in another race. Ottavio, an old but experienced trainer, was following both races and, recognizing Pietri's potential, he hires him to train for the Italian championships. Thanks to Ottavio's guidance Pietri soon becomes Italian champion and is selected to represent his country at the marathon event during the Games of the IV Olympiad, in

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

. On the D-day, Pietri runs a perfect marathon and is far ahead of his followers. But as he enters the London stadium to run the few remaining yards he is distracted and takes the wrong turn, gets disoriented, staggers and falls, gets up and falls again. The crowd cheers to encourage him standing up, and the referees too encourage him wholeheartedly. Pietri seems just exhausted. But as he sees his competitor, the American

Johnny Hayes John Joseph Hayes (April 10, 1886 – August 25, 1965) was an American athlete, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club, and winner of the marathon race at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Hayes' Olympic victory contributed to the early grow ...

, entering the stadium, he gathers his very last forces, stands up, runs and collapses right after passing the finish line. Dorando Pietri 1908

The spectators and family who are following the scene are split in mixed feelings between joy and concerns for Pietri's condition. Will he survive, or was it too much? And then the good news comes: Pietri is safe and sound. But his hour of glory is short. The Americans lodge a complaint arguing that Pietri was supported to stand up. The victory is then assigned to Hayes. Moved by this misfortune, and to express the British people's admiration for him,

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...

presents to Pietri a cup filled with pounds exactly identical to the one presented to the winner. But can that really be a substitute for a denied victory?

Cast

as Luciana * Dajana Roncione as Teresa Bulgarelli *

Alessandro Haber Alessandro Haber (born 19 January 1947) is an italian people, Italian actor, film director and singer. Haber was born in Bologna in a Italian Jews, Jewish family of mixed ancestry (his father was a Romanian Jew and his mother Italian) and spent ...

as Ottavio Bulgarelli *

Thomas Trabacchi Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

as Ulpiano Pietri *

Fabio Fulco Fabio Fulco (Bifulco) (born August 4, 1970, Naples, Italy) is an Italian actor. Biography Born August 4, 1970 in San Giuseppe Vesuviano, Naples, Italy. He started as an actor of Italian TV. Since 1998 — in the movies. He played in 30 film ...

as Pericle Rondinella * Gerardo Mastrodomenico as Dongo *

Pippo Delbono Pippo Delbono (born 1 June 1959 in Varazze, Italy) is an Italian author, actor, and director. Biography Pippo Delbono began training in traditional theatre in Denmark, studying the principles of oriental theatre, through a rigorous work on body ...

as Artemisio Barbisio *

Andy Luotto André Paul "Andy" Luotto (born 30 July 1950) is an American actor, comedian, musician, chef, and restaurateur. He has resided in Italy since the mid-1970s, where he is a prolific television personality, and is the owner and operator of the Lá re ...

as Johnny Grieco

Notes

External links

*
Document published by Rai TV

Film sheet on casanovamultimedia.it

Sheet in English

Film sheet of the Cinematographic Commission Turin Piedmont
{{DEFAULTSORT:sogno del maratoneta Italian television films 2012 television films 2012 films 2010s Italian-language films Italian biographical films Biographical films about sportspeople Films set in 1908 Films set in Italy Films set in London Cultural depictions of track and field athletes Cultural depictions of Italian men