Gilbert Speaks on the Italian TV Series “The Mafia Kills Only in Summer”

Insomnia may not be good health wise, but educationally…it’s a blast! Skimming through the cable guide, I accidently caught the beginning of S01 E01 of an Italian TV series that is based on a 2013 film. The Mafia Kills Only in Summer is shown intermediately on station WPPT.

Plot

This series deals with the Sicilian Mafia and is told from the POV of ten-year-old Salvatore Giammarresi (Edoardo Buscetta). While we follow the daily life of the Giammarresi family, which includes Salvatore’s father, Lorenzo (Claudio Gioe), his mother, Pia (Anna Foglietta) and his older sister, Angela (Angela Curri)…it is also showing historical events that were taking place with the Mafia during the 1970’s.

The series is set mainly in Palermo and is directed by Pierfrancesco Diliberto. Even though the characters speak Italian, you can easily follow the conversation with subtitles. We follow Salvatore as he tries to win the heart of his schoolmate, Alice (Andrea Castellana).

This show is mostly comedic as long as it is dealing with the Giammarresi family, but there is a much darker tone as we witness how embedded the mafia is in the daily workings of the town and also the church. What really surprised me was how easily people are coerced into Mafia organization.

Conclusion

I was hooked on this series from the get go. Edoardo Buscetta shows us the beauty and the shady underbelly of the quaint town of Palermo as seen through the eyes of an innocent. This series is definitely making its way into my “Granny’s Insomnia Theatre Collection” You can watch this series on Netflix or on cable.