I finally got around to watching FERRO on Amazon Prime. The documentary about one of my favourite singers: Tiziano Ferro.
I was mesmerized from the very beginning. It was not the start that I had imagined: it begins and focuses on a group of people at an AA meeting.
Tiziano speaks very openly about his struggle as a teenager with bullying and then as an adult with alcohol.
If I was a fan before watching, then I became a super fan afterwards. Tiziano has an air about him that oozes reality, sincerity and a rawness that can only be applauded.
He speaks about how music saved his life, and you can see his face light up when he smiles and starts to sing.
Mi dico sempre che la musica m’ha salvato la vita.
Tiziano Ferro
Tiziano has such an enchanting and charming way about him that makes you warm to him and sympathise with the things he has been through in his life.
He lives in Los Angeles now with his husband, Victor. They seem so happy together and have built a wonderful life. My eyes fill with tears as, even though I don’t know him personally, I just feel this overwhelming feeling of happiness that he has overcome all the hurdles in his life and is happy.
I look on with envy as Tiziano visits a school in LA – he interrupts a class of students who are learning Italian by singing his songs (what a fantastic way of learning a language! 10/10 to that teacher!). I would have loved a surprise visit from Tiziano when I was doing my A Levels! He connects with the students and proves in only a few moments that he has a great way with people and would make a fantastic teacher and an even better father.
Se tu non ami te stesso e quella parte di te, non puoi proiettare felicità.
Tiziano Ferro
Tiziano also looks so comfortable in his role as an AA sponsor. It is a position that he looks so natural in, and the way he encourages and supports others who have gone through what he has, is incredible.
La verità mi ha reso libero.
Tiziano Ferro
Other aspects of Tiziano’s life are shown, such as his beautiful wedding receptions in America and Italy and his recent performances at Sanremo this year. Even though Tiziano was hard on himself for not performing as well as he wanted to, all I saw was an exceptional, emotional and brave performance from one of the most talented singers I’ve ever heard.
This documentary is mainly in Italian, with some parts spoken in English (Tiziano has one of the best American accents I’ve ever heard from an Italian). For those of you who can’t speak Italian, you can select the English subtitle option and enjoy it this way.
Era tutta una rovina, ma evidentemente, bisogna demolire prima della ricostuzione, no? Non importa come cadi, importa solo come ti rialzi. Se non fai nulla, ricorderanno solo la caduta. Ma se recuperi alla grande, la cosa che più ricorderanno di te è come ti sei rialzato.
Tiziano Ferro
In conclusion, this was a truly emotional, well put together documentary that I enjoyed immensely. I understand that those who speak Italian and/or like Italian music will appreciate it more, and I am incredibly biased towards my love for Tiziano, but I definitely recommend this great film.
For the Italian speakers reading this, I’ll end with this emotional speech Tiziano gave in 2019 about bullying. I’ve copied it here in its original Italian as I feel it is more powerful.
Le parole hanno un peso, ma non lo ricordiamo.
Ed è questo il dramma che si nasconde dietro i messaggi di bullismo.
Le parole hanno un peso.
Ne ribadisco la perocolosità ed è necessario esserne consapevoli quando le si scaglia contro l’animo di un adolescente troppo fragile per poter decidere o scegliere.
Le parole hanno un peso.
Grasso, puttana, nano, disadattato, frocio, criminale, negro, vecchia, terrone, raccomandato, pezzente, ritardato, troia, fallito, anoressica, cornuto, handicappato, frigida, inferiore, mongoloide.
Le parole hanno un peso nella vita e sugli schermi.
E per carità, smettiamola di difenderci tirando in ballo l’ironia e il sarcasmo.
Quelle sono arti delle quali bisogna imparare il mestiere.
Non confondiamo le acque e i livelli.
Le parole hanno un peso e certe ferite resistono nel tempo.
L’apologia dell’odio non è un reato che dovrebbe poter cadere in prescrizione. Ma in questo Paese, una legge contro l’odio non c’é, quindi, bulli e odiatori italiani, tranquilli, siete liberi. Io intanto aspetto tempi migliori nei quali le parole magari un giorno avranno un peso.