Ethics and its dilemmas are intertwined with sadly current issues on the value of life and solidarity, in the new Sky Original series «Unwanted – Hostages of the Sea», exclusively on Sky Atlantic every Friday in prime time, with two episodes a week, and streaming on Now. Freely based on the investigative book by undercover journalist Fabrizio Gatti «Bilal» (The Ship of Theseus), created and written by Stefano Bises and directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, the series tackles the theme of immigration by telling the story of two worlds that collide in the moment in which a group of African castaways are rescued by the “Orizzonte”, a luxury cruise ship traveling in the Mediterranean led by Captain Arrigo Benedetti Valentini (Marco Bocci). The situation will see a crescendo of tension between cruise passengers and migrants, determined to divert the ship from its destination in North Africa.
Also in the international cast is Marco Palvetti, known as the boss Salvatore Conte of «Gomorra – The series” and who here plays the role of Nicola, a Carabiniere from Caserta on holiday with his wife Diletta (Denise Capezza) and rather suspicious of migrants.
«The actor’s work done on Nicola is based on the most basic pragmatism – he tells us – as he is a law enforcement officer who works on the street, his problem solving will lead him to distance himself from the idea of integration. We will hear him decided against the possibility of welcoming these people into his own country.”
In fact, a gap will be created between him and Diletta, who is very sensitive to the fate of children, on the issue of reception…
«They are two people who love each other and are trying to have a child. One of the main purposes of Nicola’s life is family and the intention of expanding it is a common path, but experienced differently by the two. Events will lead them to face their fears and limits, and above all Nicola will end up seeing things differently.”
The series focuses on the theme of migrants, showing the point of view of fugitives and that of cruise passengers. What message does it bring regarding these opposing fronts? Can prejudice and racism hinder the right solution to a problem that now concerns the whole of Europe?
«The series doesn’t pretend to teach something, but to show certain realities. Gatti made the journey with the name Bilal on the road of illegal immigrants and, in order to bring testimonies, he went through a thousand vicissitudes, telling them with the eyes of a child and the awareness of showing a completely different world to make the one in which we live better. Racism and prejudice are invisible walls behind visible others, which lead us to perceive what we do not know, therefore the foreigner, as a danger. Today we have the possibility of being constantly informed thanks to a greater knowledge of languages, which gives the possibility of communicating with others, understanding how their thinking works, entering their culture. However, you have to firmly want it, and unfortunately within our society there seems to be no time to dedicate to integration.”
Speaking of languages, “Unwanted” is filmed with a multicultural cast in English, Italian, German, French and African dialects. What was the experience like working on a set like this?
«It was an experience that will remain one of the pillars of my life, because it put me in the position to become an international actor. I almost never spoke Italian, and this gave added value to my work, in addition to the possibility of studying other languages. All this makes us understand the greatness of the project, that it was already in itself a test of integration.”
Produced by Sky Studios with Pantaleon Films and Indiana Production, the television series also stars Jessica Schwarz, Cecilia Dazzi, Francesco Acquaroli and the actor from Reggio Calabria Massimo De Lorenzo.