No Dogs or Italians Allowed

Ughetto lays out an immortal, cyclical story of love and family, poverty and prosperity, accident and fortune. But the content moves well beyond sentimental nostalgia: two World Wars, the rise of fascism and the Spanish flu epidemic, among other momentous signs of the 20th century, all mark this sometimes tragic (but never solemn) reconstruction. Above all, Ughetto traces the path of a cross-cultural migration from Italy to France, as a tightly-knit community of workers finds itself exploited as a social class by State and Church alike, suffering a galling dose of racism along the way. A splendid, life-affirming portrait.