This is the story of two brothers—Giacomo and Giovanni—and their family. It is not an ordinary family. Giovanni has Down syndrome. When their parents announced the arrival of a special child, Giacomo imagined him as a superhero. Though the family created a normal home, Giacomo hides his brother from the outside world, which sees Giovanni only as a boy with slanted eyes, a misshapen head, his tongue hanging out—a figure of ridicule. Then one summer, during a production of "The Lion King," Giovanni vanishes. The brothers find him onstage, avenging himself on Simba the good lion. Giacomo is about to stand up when his sister Chiara stops him and says: "Let him do it. There's no rule that stories have to end the way they're written."
After this and other moments, Giacomo begins to see his brother differently. He starts to appreciate Giovanni's joy in living, his passionate way of engaging with others. He realizes that the people around them care for Giovanni too—and that they know how to enter his world in a way that is fun and playful. It is a world of peace, of savoring each moment without the weight of society's expectations. Slowly, Giacomo enters that world. He joins Giovanni's adventures, becoming a spy to meet a singer, a thief to steal his sister's camera. It is the joy and enthusiasm they share that makes these two brothers closer than ever—and truly special. In the end, Giacomo understands: Giovanni really is a superhero.
This is a book that moves between moments of joy, sadness, and hilarity. But it also invites us to think deeply about how we relate to people with disabilities—a relationship too often locked in prejudice and unnecessary fear.
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The Film: My Brother Chases Dinosaurs
The film adaptation of Giacomo Mazzariol's novel opened in theaters on September 5th, after its presentation at the Authors' Days at the Venice Film Festival 2019. Directed by Stefano Cipani and adapted by Fabio Bonifacci, the film stars Alessandro Gassmann and Isabella Ragonese. But credit is also due to the young performers who drive the film: Francesco Gheghi (Giacomo), Lorenzo Sisto (Giovanni), Giacomo's first love Arianna Becheroni (Arianna), his sisters Chiara played by Gea Dall'Orto, and Alice, played by Maria Vittoria Dallasta.
FILM DETAILS
Director: Stefano Cipani
Genre: Drama
Year: 2019
Country: Italy
Duration: 101 minutes
Release date: September 5, 2019
Distribution: Eagle Pictures
