Where gold is a new beginning
Coping with contemporary and dramatic themes such as an earthquake that erases entire Italian cities in central Italy is not easy, because falling into the rhetoric is a real temptation, although not very fertile, and patching up texts that narrate without telling anything special on the wave of emotions which are considered shared is unfortunately a modus operandi that counts more and more examples lately.
Silvia Vecchini and Sualzo instead with the red zone sign a story that can walk with their own legs - regardless of the tragic moments that trigger the story and that we all impressed in the mind - and do it by turning to the boys, perhaps even more difficult task, with no apparent concern to teach, to empathize with people in difficulty, but simply by telling a story of fear, anger, pain, but also of friendship and above all of hope, pervading and obstinate hope.
It's an evening like we expect them, day after day, and instead it's an evening that changes everything and destroys almost everything.
The red zone is a comic book organized in 8 chapters that follows the story of a boy, Matteo, his family and his friends from the hours immediately following the earthquake that almost completely destroys the country in which they live. The chapters tell brief episodes chronologically ordered, but not necessarily temporally contiguous. Silvia Vecchini opens tears to narrate the life of those who have been overwhelmed by the earthquake through the words, meetings and dialogues between the characters: the author chooses not to include any caption and this broadens the effect "voices" and eliminates any possibility external commentary. We are silent spectators of a story that does not want to be explained by anyone else but the protagonists. What immediately strikes is that the seismic event overwhelms lives, lives that go on: relationships, ties, interests, school, food, sleep ... the drama of the moment, however, reveals perhaps more deeply the humanity and the heart of each person involved. Anger, fear are emotions that affect everyone, elderly children, men and women, but everyone has his own way to start again, to start again, to reiterate to himself what is worth in life and to those who cling to it when you no longer have anything. It is always really miraculous to see how men look more humanly in tragedies, sharing the need, and how friendship helps to strip fear and rage. There is all this in men and women, but everyone has his own particular way of starting again, of starting again, of reiterating to himself what is worth in life and to those who cling to it when there is nothing left. It is always really miraculous to see how men look more humanly in tragedies, sharing the need, and how friendship helps to strip fear and rage. There is all this in men and women, but everyone has his own particular way of starting again, of starting again, of reiterating to himself what is worth in life and to those who cling to it when there is nothing left. It is always really miraculous to see how men look more humanly in tragedies, sharing the need, and how friendship helps to strip fear and rage. There is all this inThe red zone , but above all there is the story of the protagonist Matteo: his friends, his girlfriend, his father and his stepfather, his grandmother, his sister, his countrymen, the teacher ...
The narrated meetings seem precious: in the suspended time of the post-earthquake where nobody is in the place where he would or should be, we discover the details that in life count. The garden is an opportunity to share with people who may have always lived next to you, but you've never seen, the weaknesses of the friend become an opportunity to be brave together, but also to cry together: who leaves challenge changes for the better and the moments acquire their weight, because we do "what we have to do", without pretension.
In the end there is no denial of anger or fear, but the discovery that one's own fragility is not a weakness, but that if it is innervated with gold (the citation of the Japanese practice of kintsugi is beautiful and functional) is the precious stature of one's being it is taken for granted and yet it is hopeful.
Sualzo's drawings are capable, with the same discretion of the texts, to show with modesty and respect, without glue, the weaknesses of the protagonists and equally without false emphasis the statuesque grandeur of daily gestures and choices.
A cartoon that devours in a short time, able to speak to children (from 9 years, but my son of 8 years has greatly appreciated) of choices and hope, because in each one's life there is a red zone and an earthquake , what makes the difference is the step that takes place immediately afterwards and the willingness to hope.
«There are those who let themselves be closed in sadness and those who open themselves to hope. There are those who remain trapped in the ruins of life and who, with the help of God, raises the ruins and rebuilds with patient hope ". Pope francesco.
PS as if this were not enough part of the proceeds of the book were intended for a project that supports some initiatives for the boys of Montefortino, one of the municipalities most affected by the earthquake in Central Italy . And even to do it on purpose just today were published photos of the realization of the first aid .
