I Had a Dream (Avevo un sogno)

With the rise of populism, extremism, racism, and indifference, democracy is in crisis and nobody seems able to find a cure. Will it come from the politicians, the institutions, or the citizens? Director Claudia Tosi explores how this crisis unfolds in Italy through the battles of two remarkable women, Manuela Ghizzoni and Daniela DePietri, both members of the country’s Democratic Party.

The film begins in 2008, when Ghizzoni and DePietri are seeking to have an impact on political decisions at the national and local level. Tosi films them over a period of ten years, capturing their everyday lives and tireless political organizing, offering insight into a tumultuous decade in Italian and European politics. When 70% of Italians vote for populist parties in the 2018 election, the two women reflect on this “dramatic failure.” Strengthened by each other’s friendship in the face of an increasingly hostile political environment, they vow to “keep working as if there was a future.” -ML