Provisionally called Bartali’s Bicycle, a film based on the life of Italian cyclist Gino Bartali has started production. Co-produced by Lynx Multimedia Factory and the Toonz Media Group, the film’s national distribution will be handled by RAI, with TVCO responsible for international distribution. The release is scheduled for 2023.
This animated family film is set in the Middle East and follows two young boys from rival communities. David, a Gino Bartali fan, is Jewish while Ibrahim is Arab. Despite their differences, their love of cycling creates a bond. Both enter a cycling competition.
Many times winner of the Tour of Italy and the Tour de France, Gino Barteli is also famous for his wartime acts of resistance 80 years ago. During the Nazi occupation of Italy the cyclist helped save many Italian Jews. Working with the underground networks he delivered false identity papers to Jewish families by carrying them hidden in his saddle, avoiding the suspicion of the authorities. The story means a lot to Luca Milano, director of RAI Kids, who sees in this man’s life “a symbol of peace for children and families.”
The Lynx Multimedia Factory of Milan are making the film. The project is supervised by Enrico Paolantonio, with Sabrina Callipari as head of production. The script is by Israel Cesare Moscati and Marco Beretta. For the graphic design, Corrado Mastantuono takes care of the characters while illustrator Andrea Pucci does the backgrounds. The Indian group Toonz Media and the Irish Telegael are assisting the Italian team: “I am proud,” said Vencenzo Mosa, head of TVCO, “to collaborate with such prestigious brands in animation.”
Sources : AnimationMagazine, AWN, Cineuropa, Toonz
