MILAN — Not all revolutions come amid bedlam. Sometimes all it takes is a 30-second trailer to seed a long-due change in the perception of a country.
All the more reason why fashion should monitor the eight-episode show and its reception, not only to further acknowledge the seismic shift in local culture but also to eventually tap fresh faces that can better engage with younger customers.
A 28-year-old writer born in Italy from Angolan parents, Dikele Distefano is the author of the 2018 book “Non ho mai avuto la mia età,” or “I have never had my age” in English, which inspired the series. Clockwise: Daniela Scattolin as Sara, Richard Dylan Magon as Momo, Haroun Fall as Sharif, Giuseppe Dave Seke as Zero and Madior Fall as Inno. Francesco Berardinelli/Courtesy of Netflix
Fall noted he shares Sharif’s impulsiveness, tenacity and dynamism, while a point of difference is “the grudge he holds: He is resentful for his social condition and family situation, but I don’t feel that way for what happened in my life.” Yet when asked about the challenges encountered in his work so far and the overall limited opportunities for Black actors in Italy, the actor didn’t address the media but the country’s social heritage.