Alain Ughetto’s animated film No Dogs or Italians Allowed is on the official short list for the feature-length competition at the Festival International du Film d'Animation d'Annecy (13 – 18 June).
Made in stop-motion, with music by Nicola Piovani, the film tells the story of Cesira and Luigi who leave Ughettera, their village in Piedmont, during the Fascist regime, to cross the Alps to France where they start a new life and change their family’s destiny for ever. Alain Ughetto, grandson of Luigi and Cesira, goes back in time with this film to trace the story of his ancestors and rediscover his own roots in Piedmont.
The ruins of now abandoned Ughettera in Piedmont were created especially for the stop-motion set, and are also shown in live action footage. Other sets inspired by real places include mount Monviso, rising above Ughettera; the hills of the village of Premeno (birthplace of Cesira Caretti); the Sempione train tunnel joining Piedmont and Switzerland which Luigi Ughetto helped build; and the high Sangone valley.
No Dogs or Italians Allowed is produced by Les Films du Tambour de Soie (France) in co-production with Vivement Lundi! (France), Foliascope (France), Graffiti Film (Italy), Nadasdy Film (Switzerland), Lux Fugit Film (Belgium) and Ocidental Filmes (Portugal), and will be distributed internationally by Indie Sales.
The film was made with support from Film Commission Torino Piemonte - Piemonte Doc Film Fund; Ministry of Culture – D.G. Cinema & audiovisual; Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animé (CNC); Règion Bretagne; Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur; Procirep; Tax Shelter du gouvernement fédéral de Belgique et des investisseurs Tax Shelter; Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles; Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; Office Fédéral de la Culture - Section Cinéma; Cinéforom e il sostegno di Loterie Romande; ICA - Instituto do Cinema e do Audiovisual Portugal; in association with Cofinova 16 ; in coproduction with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma; RTS Radio Télévision Suisse; and Umedia, RTBF.