Migration, masculinity and ‘double occupancy’ in Paola Randi’s Into Paradiso

Abstract

The advent of the Italian Second Republic coincides with a phase of uncertainty about national identity. The 1990s was the decade in which Italy was no longer a country of emigration but became a land of immigration. Italian cinema registered this right away, and films on the topic of immigration continue to grow steadily. Paola Randi’s Into Paradiso (2010) is a rare comedy about immigration; this article shows how the film presents migratory dynamics and a ‘post-national’ feeling of identity. The analysis focuses on the representation of space and stereotypes of masculinity, as well as the representation of those ‘Italian vices’ which have been, throughout the ages, an integral component of the Italian national identity project.