THIS WORLD CAN'T TEAR ME DOWN
I'd bet anything they weren't expecting the cops not to be there either,
because there was a standstill for a moment.
- Come on! - No one knew what to do.
There was no barrier, and people were shouting on both sides.
Stand together!
We couldn't stand more together.
We were pressed together, like plywood made of human flesh.
They were the same.
There were 30 meters of no-man's-land between us.
My blood was pumping, I had palpitations,
my heart going boom-boom-boom... boom!
A bomb explodes, but it isn't Secco's.
It's Dark Secco's.
Like the evil towers in Knights of the Zodiac.
Nazi Secco.
Another one who's bombs-obsessed.
I thought he was an urban myth, but my cousin saw him at the stadium once,
and he knew it wasn't Secco because he said totally different things.
Wanna get a smoothie?
Anyway, he does exist, and he's already lighting another bomb.
But... boom!
That was our Secco. I recognized him from the bang.
Not sure how long that moment lasted.
We weren't in Rome anymore. We were in Baghdad.
I heard bangs and shouting. Everything echoed around me.
We were pushing each other, we start running... boom!
Then it all took off...
There were no phalanx or testudo formations, nothing.
It went haywire.
We were like pus squirting out of a bubble of resentment
that's been growing not for a week, but for months.
Or for some, maybe even their whole life.
I can't give an honest account of the riot because I have a very partial view.
There were definitely some who stood out heroically,
who will be remembered in years to come...
But that wasn't me.
I didn't even see much. I was just trying to hang in there.
And then, who did I see on the other side?
Lu-do-vi-co!
That dickhead lizard kid from North Rome I used to tutor!
He must be 25 now.
So I shout...
You really are an asshole!
What the fuck are you doing here?
He had terrible dialectic skills. We worked so hard on that.
But his answer made me think
he hasn't really made much progress since then.
Hail Mussolini!
ANGUISH ON CANVAS
THE PEDAGOGUE'S FAILURE
His reasoning distracted me just enough to...
Boom! Get punched in the face.
I could feel myself going down. As I touched the ground,
I saw all those feet coming towards me, and then...
Stop there. There isn't much time, so shut up and listen.
This is not a drill.
Everything ever since you've known me has been in preparation for this.
Everything.
Here is all the advice I've given you.
It's all summed up in this one thing,
the only thing you need to think about now,
and probably until the day you die.
And these two points in time may even coincide.
So, I have this remote control in my hand.
Are you following me?
As soon as I press "play,"
you need to curl up in a ball.
Like this.
Do you understand? Are you up for it?
I'm up for it.
Three,
two,
one...
And close your mouth or you'll be eating flies.
I don't know how long it lasted.
But when that many people are beating you up,
it's like no one is because they're not aiming.
They huddle together,
as long as they can touch you with their toes,
they can say they were there too.
At most, what can happen...
I'll be very honest,
I'm not able to put together what happened,
but that whistle was like a siren song.
I couldn't understand shit.
I felt someone picking me up...
It was Secco. He said something, but I couldn't hear anything.
From reading his lips, I thought he said,
"Wanna get an ice cream?"
But that would be too much even for him.
I couldn't ask him because he'd gone off again.
He was moving so naturally. I was astonished.
I even think his eyes were alert for the first time.
Lucky him!
I got ready to go off again, but...
That's enough!
Can't you see this is a set?
A film set,
prepared by someone who wants to take advantage?
The journalists are here to film the fights...
- Hey, that's... - Who?
...and continue talking bullshit about this area!
Can't you see it...
Fuck, she was right!
I hadn't noticed anything,
but there were 8,000 journalists huddled around with popcorn,
watching us play out this movie.
...outraged citizen, this is what they tell you...
Hey, regular folk are here. Report back.
Department, I'm reporting the presence of elderly ladies
and people who seem socially integrated.
To avoid looking like assholes, I suggest immediate intervention.
I repeat, I suggest immediate intervention.
POLICE
Hey, assholes!
The police are here!
Are you not ashamed of yourselves?
Instead of just filming the fights,
listen to what people here have to say!
I've only just arrived at this school, and I might never even work in it.
They told me it was because of the migrant shelter,
and I believed them,
because it was the easiest thing to believe.
Talk about what's really happening.
Let the people who live in this area talk,
instead of looking for liars and charity cases
to make us look like apes.
Let Domenica talk!
She's worked at this school for more than 30 years.
Is it on?
What the fuck?!
I've been a janitor here all my life.
This school has been getting emptier for years.
Every year a class closes, one after the other.
Come on, for fuck's sake!
This school was in trouble long before the shelter came along.
It's not in trouble, actually. It's dying.
Know why I'm saying this?
You felt like shit after our little chat, huh?
Don't be a pain in the ass.
You're lucky I met Domenica.
Had it been for your lecture, I'd have invaded Poland by now.
Do you know why people don't want to send their children here?
Because you freeze in winter,
the toilets are always out of order,
and every few months a piece of the ceiling falls...
Shut up, asshole!
- We don't give a fuck! - Fucking dwarf! No one gives a shit!
I'm going to get going. I've got to be on that show.
It looks like things have calmed down anyway.
I'm not needed anymore.
They talk about "schools in trouble,"
but they got rid of the 349 bus,
which was the only bus that came here.
How do they think people can get here now, by helicopter?
I sympathize with those who send their kids to different areas.
Even I said to my son, "Get away from this black hole,
because nothing exists here."
"It all disappears off the radar like in the Mariana Trench."
Domenica!
- Go to hell! - Domenica!
You idiots!
Hey, Domenica, it's Cesare.
Maybe you don't remember me.
Of course I remember. I'm not a bloody idiot.
What have you done to your hair?
Awesome, Domenica! I dyed it yellow.
With my red nose, I'm a Roma flag!
Go Roma!
Always!
I respect you, Domenica. I've always respected you.
I'm telling you, we have the same enemy.
Because when we say we don't want these foreigners here,
we're not mad at them.
We're mad at the people who say lots of nice things,
but then keep dumping all their problems here.
The ones at the top
who think this place is a dumping ground.
They should take them!
Cesare, we're not here for a question-and-answer session.
Yes, but the ones at the top are Italian.
They are taking advantage of these poor people,
like they take advantage of you and took advantage of your mother.
Those are the ones I'm mad at!
I want them to realize that we exist too.
They can't treat us like...
What's he saying? We're here because of that fucking shelter.
Cesare, bloody hell! Give me that thing!
What the fuck do you want?
- Hey, you piece of shit! - Asshole!
Hey, Cesare!
You assholes!
- They're beating each other up! - Let's go!
They're beating the shit out of him! Do something!
They're killing him!
Back! Stay back!
Assholes!
- Shameful! - Assholes!
That's enough now! Come on!
I didn't understand a thing after that.
They swept us away and closed us into a corner.
Three hours, bored out of our fucking minds.
Some ambulances came,
they took people away on one side and the other,
a few smashed heads, stuff like that.
As we were waiting for our turn,
I heard some voices.
Are you the famous 30 people that they brought here?
I do love this surprised look.
This naive side to you that gets the old ladies going.
But I'm going to refresh your memory.
You do remember that these people are at the center of all this?
No, it's just that with all the adrenaline, I'd forgotten...
You've been beating each other up, arguing, being warriors for a week,
like these people don't exist.
Which is fine. Okay.
The cardiologist told you to exercise.
But if you could remember these little things...
You look as though you woke up and saw a penguin
shitting in your kitchen.
Come on!
Yes, in our eagerness,
we might not have paid much attention to them.
So I try to fix it.
How are you all? Everything okay in there?
Did you hear... things, noises?
And, rightly so, they answer...
Okay, I tried, but we don't understand each other.
So I shouldn't feel guilty if...
He says he was very scared.
They thought they wanted to come in here.
Hey, you speak Italian!
Yes, I already come to Italy.
Potenza, in 2012.
I don't know what to say! I have a thousand thoughts.
The first thing I want to do is big-up my area.
You may not have noticed because you haven't been here long,
but this is the best area in Rome!
Don't listen to what we said... "Shitty neighborhood," "black hole."
Only we can say that when we're pissed off.
Others mustn't dare. Do you think the Colosseum is better?
It's just a half-eaten marble doughnut, and it's impossible to find parking.
For f...
And tell them that we're here to defend you from those pieces of shit.
Thank you, that's very kind. But we know how to defend ourselves.
I look at our team of good-for-nothings.
Perhaps I was a bit presumptuous with this defender thing.
So I try and change things around with a lower profile.
We're not all like those who want to send you away.
We spoke for about three minutes.
I was a gentleman, as I didn't even ask her,
"What the fuck did you go to Potenza for?"
I want to make peace with the people in Basilicata.
Anyway, they loaded us into a police van and brought us here.
And now they blame us because some Nazi kid got hurt.
And as it looks like he's Mazinger's son,
now they're all pissed off that they have to find out who hit him,
or his dad is going to screw everyone, from ministers to the traffic wardens.
But in the middle of all that mess,
how the fuck should I know who hit
that asshole of a lizard kid?
All I can say is that I tutored him for three years.
We'd already hurt each other with such cognitive savagery
that couldn't ever be compared to any actual beating.
There you go, that's the whole story.
Why did you go on about this to me? To make my ears bleed?
I already know what happened. I'm your conscience. Remember?
I know, but it's the adrenaline talking.
I need to get it all out, then I won't risk leaking something
when the cops come in.
Well, at least you're aware
of the thin line between mother-in-law and snitch.
Looks like curling up in a ball worked well!
Look at this little face, not a scratch on it.
No, that's actually because I'd forgotten that this happens in the end.
And I didn't tell the others when they did the preparatory drawings.
What do I know...
Hey, guys! How are you? All good?
I've just realized that we need to redo all the police station scenes,
because the marks on my face are missing.
Let's say we agreed on this.
Calcare...
You're free to go.
Sorry, what do you mean? Don't I have to...
Please, speak to your lawyer.
Oh, and use larger fonts in your Instagram stories.
I can't read a thing and my wife has to help me.
Do me a favor.
Go on, leave, it's nine o'clock.
There's just you and another guy here. The others have all left.
But... no one's asked me anything yet.
What do they have to ask you?
I don't know! I had my answer ready about not being a snitch.
Even the partisans endured three days of torture
to give their friends time...
We're not in America here!
Those people will say some shit to the newspapers,
they'll report you all,
and then we'll see in ten years' time at the trial.
Now, do me a favor and leave, so we can all go home.
I've only had a sandwich all day.
Life is short. You might die tomorrow.
Why think about what might happen in ten years' time?
Hey, what are you doing?
We were waiting for you.
And looking at what the newspapers are saying.
Well, we can go now.
Let's avoid the Nazis as they come out.
They all left two hours ago.
I think the only one left is that fool
that had the loudspeaker before the charge.
Yes, Cesare.
Now he's argued with them too,
who knows what he'll do.
Hey, your nose is bleeding.
Yes, because you keep talking about Cesare.
When people talk about someone I hate, I get nosebleeds.
Wow, I'm amazed!
I always humored you, but I thought it was bullshit.
But it's true!
I've been telling you for 30 years, but you never believed me.
You're right, sorry.
It's not true, come on!
His nose is bleeding because a cop gave him a beating.
Look, I even filmed it.
- HEY, ARE YOU THERE? - SNITCHES GET STITCHES.
Whatever. What are the newspapers saying?
What do you think? They're ripping us to bits.
I'll spare you the videos. They'd just make you mad.
Did the cops ask you anything?
No, it was more like a chat.
They'll make us pay for this anyway.
A politician's son. They won't let us get away with it.
Either they find a video showing who hit him
and they screw him,
or they'll screw us all as a lesson.
Look, between us,
I tutored that beaten-up kid for three years,
and I swear that, even if they'd broken his legs,
tied him up, hog-tied him and thrown him in a hole,
he still wouldn't be level with karma.
- Sure, I'm sorry, because... - Hey, I'm done.
None of my fucking business anymore.
But watch out, this is going to turn into a major tidal wave of shit tomorrow.
Maybe people who buy comics don't mind a criminal conviction.
But you should think whether it's worth losing your job
over something someone else did.
I doubt anyone playing poker online gives a shit about your police record.
I wasn't referring to you, but to the ladies.
Yes, thank you! Thanks for thinking of us.
Bye!
Go fuck yourself.
How the fuck should I know who hit him?
And even if I did know,
you think I'd screw a friend to save my own ass?
What a shit attitude.
Guys, I need to show you something.
This is my video, okay?
Hey, that's Cesare!
God! They really did do one on him.
Look at that piece of sh...
- Whoa! - No!
Look after that kid.
Don't treat him like he's only good for beating people up.
He's messed up. He's more sensitive than he looks.
DAX STILL HATES
What did that girl say?
What girl?
The one at the shelter.
Before they took us away, you were talking...
She spoke really badly, you couldn't understand a thing.
She didn't say much.
That she'd had a long journey and was dying of thirst.
The kind of small talk you make during a pogrom.
Tell them we're not all like these assholes
who want to send you away.
They know, but they know that many people don't want them here.
They can see.
They left everything.
I walked nearly 100 kilometers without water.
People died of thirst.
Then the sea...
So much water, but you couldn't drink it.
Then here the police, angry people...
I know what it's like when there's no place for you.
My country, when you need to throw something away that is prohibited,
that you don't want anybody to find,
you throw into lake at night and everyone pretend know nothing.
It's the same for us here. Thrown away.
This aquatic metaphor makes me think
of the Mariana Trench that Domenica spoke about.
Something from my school days that stuck with me,
because the double entendre made me laugh.
"The Mariana Trench
is the deepest known oceanic depression in the world."
It's 12 kilometers deep,
the exact same distance
from the center of Rome to the Ring Road.
WORK IN PROGRESS SLOW DOWN
Creatures live there and we don't understand how that's possible.
How the fuck can their organs function without light,
squashed under tens of billions of cubic meters of water?
This seems more accurate
than anything I have read over the past days.
A pool of souls floundering in the dark,
who have to learn to live together in a place
where no one else could survive.
I'm not sure coming here is that good of a deal for you.
All right. My mom says that trees that stay in same field
drink same water.
Trees are too stable.
We could be logs here at the most,
going wherever the current drags us.
Currents are scary because you don't know where they can take you.
But at least it means you're not drowning.
VIDEO DELETED
See you tomorrow for another episode!
A Random Show!
Were you watching today's show?
What did they do to replace me?
I think they already had someone else ready.
An old guy with a cleft lip who farted a few Battisti songs.
He did all right.
Oh, and your mother called to congratulate you afterwards.
For what?
For the last song. She said it was like the original.
What do you mean? She thought that was me?
You know she's got her cataract surgery in September.
Okay.
Asshole.
But she can still hear.
It's not like she's never heard me fart. She's my mother.
Asshole.
Subtitle translation by: Luisa Zamboni