Where Am I Going? * * * *

A hard working Italian Public Servant

Here’s another film I saw at the  Italiano Filmaaaa Festivaaala.
This one was so popular in Italy it out sold Star Wars apparently. I certainly enjoyed it more than Star Wars.

It’s a very funny satire on Italian bureaucracy and that most valued of Government Employee positions “The Permanent Position” which makes a public servant virtually unsackable.

When a new Government Minister makes a commitment to cut back on the amount of free-loading Public Servants he learns they are so protected that Checo is about the only one who can be terminated, and then only on condition that he agrees to it.

But Checo has no intention of taking a severance cheque. Therefore, all they can do is keep sending him to remote places in the hope that he will find the job and the conditions so intolerable he might resign.

No such luck. Checo is one of those fellows that always lands on his feet, and even finds benefits in his new placings.

Checo is actually quite a dreadful man in some ways. He’s never worked hard, he still lives at home.  His Mamma cooks for him and irons his clothes but as the story progresses Checo learns to fend for himself and soon finds romance.

Where Am I Going? gives a gentle ribbing, not just to Italy, but to the other countries he visits, especially Norway whose polite culture he loves at first, but he soon misses the Italian charm of drivers blasting their horns at each other, thoughtless double parking, unapologetically corrupt politicians and junk television.

Where Am I Going? Was so successful at the Festival I would not be surprised if it is put on mainstream release.  It’s well worth catching if you can.