From Monday, April 3rd, Rai Gulp
will broadcast Le Cronache di Nanarìa (tr. The Chronicles of Nanarìa),
the first TV series aimed at kids and teens exploring the universe of dyslexia.
Produced by Rai Kids and Aurora tv, the series will air daily at
2:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. on Rai Gulp, premiering on RaiPlay on March 31st.
Nanarìa is Arianna, a bright and dreamy
11-year-old girl who starts her first year in middle school by discovering that
the problem she struggled with in elementary school has a name: dyslexia. She
thus begins to know and understand it, slowly accepting herself more and more.
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability
(SLD) that manifests itself in the correctness and/or speed of reading. Even
today, although it affects nearly 1 pupil per classroom in Italy and about 3
million people, parents and children surprisingly know very little about it, an
invisible disorder often not diagnosed in a timely manner. A late diagnosis can
not only jeopardize one’s school career, but their entire growth path with the
risk of self-esteem crisis and bullying episodes.
This is exactly what happens to Arianna (played
by Valentina Filippeschi), the main character, who is a bright girl who in
elementary school was haunted by "inexplicable" performance problems,
accompanied by teasing from some classmates. Through a video diary, the girl
recounts her tragicomic entry into middle school with the school misadventures
also due to her disorder but above all her discovery of the theater course, an
activity that would seem the least suitable for her... But that is how she
meets the whimsical Nora (portrayed by Francesca Carrain), an attentive and
ready-to-listen teacher, and some wonderful fellow students with whom she finds
the strength to overcome all difficulties. Treading the stage, between
brilliant improvisations and exercises, Arianna learns to express her full
potential of creativity and to accept herself. Then, the mistake she makes when
she has to write her name in front of everyone, with a small stroke of genius
becomes a sophisticated stage name: Nanarìa.
The Chronicles of Nanarìa, thanks to the
patronage of IDA (Italian Dyslexia Association), not only wants to inform and
raise awareness on this issue with a correct and understandable language, but
also to overcome the stigma attached to this learning disorder, staging with lightness
and irony universal themes during growth, such as the discovery and acceptance
of one’s self and others, the importance of solidarity and friendship, the
exploration of one's abilities, and the discovery of one's talents.
The backdrop for Nanarìa's theatrical
adventures is a beautiful work by painter Enrico Benaglia, a
contemporary artist who has been diagnosed late in life with dyslexia. One of
his works embellishes the background of the stage on which the children move,
giving it a magical and dreamy atmosphere, making it the place where anything
is possible, if you know how to dream.
The Chronicles of Nanarìa is a 15x25’ series,
directed by 30-year-old director Matteo Gentiloni, whose work Mollami
sparked interest with its original tale of difficult adolescence. The series’
cast is composed of very young talent, all between the ages of 13 and 14.
