Abstract:
With a degree in Chinese Studies from the University of Venice and his background as assistant director to Gianni Amelio’s feature film based in China, Sergio Basso is uniquely positioned to make a film about the Chinese in Milan. While Giallo a Milano is clearly a response to a real event--the violent confrontation between the police and the Chinese community in Milan in April 2007--it can also be seen as a response to the stereotyping of the ‘unknowable’ Chinese in the Italian media, including high profile films that feature sweat shops crammed with illegal and exploited Chinese immigrant workers undermining the ‘made-in-Italy’ brand.