Hleb Papou's debut feature 'Il legionario' explores identity and housing crisis

Hleb Papou, a Belarusian-born Italian director, presented his first feature film 'Il legionario' at Le vie del cinema in Milan, which runs until September 30. The film premiered in the Cineasti del Presente section at Locarno 74, where Papou won the award for best emerging director. The movie explores themes of home, family, and identity through the story of two second-generation African immigrant brothers with opposing integration paths. Daniel, the protagonist, has abandoned his biological family to join the police force (Celere), while his brother Patrick remains with their mother in a Rome building occupied by nearly 500 people, managing it through a committee. The film addresses the housing emergency and questions of belonging, drawing comparisons to Ladj Ly's 'Les Misérables'. Daniel, nicknamed Ciobar by his colleagues, faces a conflict between his duty as a police officer and his loyalty to his family during an eviction. The director uses minimal dialogue and continuous shot-reverse-shot between the brothers to place viewers in a critical, non-judgmental position. The film runs 80 minutes and ends without a decisive resolution.