Benvenuti al Sud

Benvenuti al Sud (Italy, 2010) dir. Luca Miniero

Alberto Colombo is the manager of a post-office in a northern Italian town, who longs for a transfer to Milan. After a botched attempt to push himself up the transfer waiting list, he is transferred to a branch near Naples, as punishment. When he arrives in the south, he is shocked at the laziness and inefficiency of the post office and its workers, although they soon become firm friends.

The film highlights the differences (both real and perceived) between working practices and work ethics in northern and southern Italy. The film features a number of scenes in the post-office and on the postman’s daily route.

Generazione Mille Euro

Generazione Mille Euro (Italy, 2009) dir. Massimo Venier

Matteo has a PhD in physics but works in a marketing firm in Milan, a job he hates and which he is sure he will soon be fired from. His situation is similar to that of many young Italians who live on €1000 a month- no mean feat in an expensive city like Milan. Matteo’s relationships with his best friend, Francesco (a cinema projectionist), Beatrice (a struggling teacher), and Angelica (a manager in the company he works for), are explored in the film.

The film features a number of scenes set in the marketing firm and shows strategy meetings, the design and launch of a major campaign, and the boss-worker relationship within the company.