Aahana Swrup
The Italian Netflix film ‘The Children’s Train’ transports the viewers to a downcast time in Italy’s history and tells an uplifting story about unity in the face of adversity. Originally known as ‘Il Treno Dei Bambini,’ it revolves around Amerigo, a 7-year-old boy living with his poor mother, Antonietta, in the strife-filled streets of postwar Naples. As a result, his mother enrolls him in the Unione Donne Italiane (Italian Women’s Union) and Italian Communist Party’s joint program of momentarily rehousing Southern kids with richer Northern families. Consequently, Amerigo boards the Trains of Happiness and arrives at Derna’s doorstep. Over the course of the Winter, the duo form a family of their own that ends up changing their lives forever.
This historical film, directed by Cristina Comencini, charts a heartwarming story about family while also sharing the truth of a momentous time in Italy’s post-World War II history. Naturally, the film’s setting in the 1940s highlights Amerigo and his story’s fascinating roots in reality.
The Children’s Train is Based on Viola Ardone’s Historical Novel
‘The Children’s Train’ is an on-screen adaptation of the 2019 historical fiction book ‘The Children’s Train,’ written by Viola Ardone with Clarissa Botsford as the translator for the English translation. The on-screen narrative retains a significant basis in the novel, as it adapts the literary work’s central narrative around Amerigo and his train-bound trip. Even though a certain amount of fictionalization lingers around the story in both literary and cinematic instances, the base premise remains rooted in reality.
In her book, Ardone tackles the story of a young Napoli boy as he grows up in the immediate aftermath of World War II. As a result, the Trains of Happiness (Treni Della Felicità), a real-life initiative undertaken by the Italian Communist Party and Unione Donne Italiane between 1945 and 1952, becomes an instrumental part of the protagonist’s childhood. During the time, a recently liberated Italy was focused on rebuilding its economic and social problems. However, Teresa Noce, a leader in the Italian Communist Party from Milan, recognized the difficulties of young children in southern Italy, where the war’s after-effects manifested in heightened hunger.
Consequently, Noce collaborated with women from the Communist Party in the Northern Italy city of Reggio Emilia to establish a program in which families from the North would take kids from the South to house them for a few months. This resulted in the formation of the Union of Italian Women and the Trains of Happiness program. Ardone’s novel equips this same real-life post-war initiative as the focus of her novel, equipping the narrative of a participant kid. Although the narrative details that follow remain fabricated, cementing the novel as a work of historical fiction, the story’s nucleus is steeped in Italy’s real history.
The Children’s Train Explores the Reality of The Trains of Happiness
Since ‘The Children’s Train’ centers around Amerigo’s experiences as a participant in the Trains of Happiness program in 1946, the story inevitably ends up presenting a realistic depiction of the time’s social landscape. After the war, certain differences persisted between Northern and Southern Italy. The lack of understanding of these differences created some friction during the early stages of the Trains of Happiness program. At the time, due to heavy propaganda, Southern Italians heard devil stories about the Communists in the North. For the same reason, many families who enrolled their kids in the program initially believed Northeners ate children.
Nonetheless, once the program began, thousands of Southern Italian kids from Naples, Lazio, Calabria, Sicily, and more cities found new families in Northern Italy who cared for them. The kids were provided with everything—from clothing to education. Thus, the initiative led to the formation of countless bonds that persisted even after the end of the children’s stay with their Northern families. Through Amerigo’s story, the book—and, by extension, the film—presents a nuanced understanding of the same bonds. As such, even though ‘The Children’s Train’ isn’t a biographical account, it remains historically resonant.
The Children’s Train Fictionalizes Amerigo Benvenuti’s Character
When it comes to the departure from recordable history, Amerigo Benvenuti, née Speranza’s personal experiences in ‘The Children’s Train’ remain the most significant contributor. Since Viola Ardone wanted to present an intimate and heartfelt account of the Trains of Happiness program, she tells its story through the eyes of Amerigo, a seven-year-old participant. He begins his story as a poor youth in Naples who eventually discovers his passion for music during his time in Modena with Derna and her family. Ultimately, after a series of struggles and impossible life choices, Amerigo becomes a celebrated violinist whose solo performances invite grand fanfare.
While Amerigo’s journey remains deeply resonant and emotionally moving, it remains a fictional one. In real life, there is no violin soloist identical to Amerigo Benvenuti. Therefore, the character becomes a work of Ardone’s imagination adapted for the screen by screenwriters Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda, Cristina Comencini, and Camille Duguay. Through his fictional story, the film presents a layered understanding of family—both biological and otherwise. Furthermore, it also highlights the historical significance of the Trains of Happiness program by attaching a relatable narrative to the concept. As such, even though Amerigo’s character is crucial to the depiction of the historical events that ‘The Children’s Train’ is based on, the character himself remains devoid of a real-life counterpart.
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