A BITTER STORY

Barge and Bagnolo are two small towns at the foot of the Alps and for centuries their primary activity has been quarrying stone. Since the late 1990s, the towns have been home to the second largest Chinese community in Europe. A new school year begins for the Chinese children here, with the same uncertainty about the future but with something new: a theatrical laboratory created and conducted for them. [mp]

“As opposed to what we tend to think, the Chinese community isn’t compact and structured. There are no interest groups, nor recreational or cultural activities. The family nuclei interact according to need. This limbo sees adolescents dealing with a double friction: inside the community, they clash with the legacy of their origins, represented by their parents, who impose a strict and archaic view of life without leaving any room for discussion; instead, within the context of adoption, the young people struggle to absorb the instruments they need in order to interpret and interact with reality, fundamental for an informed affirmation of their own potential.”