Today, Claudio "Bocia" Galimberti is a coxswain of a fishing boat in the Adriatic Sea. But for all the rest of his life Claudio has been a member of the hard-core supporters of Bergamo’s Atalanta B.C. - one of the most respected and feared groups in the scene of international football fans. A fulltime engagement that he has lived with absolute dedication, and which has led him to be the undisputed leader of the “Curva Nord” since 2000. The film traces the last two decades of his life, a time during which Italian society has undergone a frenzied and deep evolution. It begins with the violent confrontations with police in the ‘90s and then documents the maelstrom of repression that led to many trials and his exile from Bergamo. The film also describes the process through which soccer, from a people’s game, has been turned into a global business, an Orwellian entertainment to be watched on TV – with the stands finally emptied by the Covid pandemic. It’s the story of a relentlessly rebel's life, with unwavering ethics, dedicated to a cause: the hope to be the grain of sand that stops the engine.

I met Bocia in 1994, when we were both in our twenties. I liked his way of being an “ultras” right away. For him it was a way of life, a way of rebelling. Generous and brave, always ready to help the weakest. Always unwilling to bow his head in front of the powers that be. No wonder that he became the leader of the Atalanta hard-core fans. In 1998 I started filming him, and I never stopped. I followed all the stages of his whirlwind life. Following Bocia’s life means not only to witness the changes that have taken place in the ultras sub-world and the soccer system in general, but also the evolution of Italian society and the global world in general. Bocia's life is a story of resistance and resilience: he has always been able to give himself a second chance, finding the strength not to give up.

Director
Andrea Zambelli
Story
Andrea Zambelli, Andrea Zanoli
Screenplay
Andrea Zambelli, Andrea Zanoli
Director of photography
Andrea Zambelli, Andrea Zanoli
Film Editor
Cristina Sardo
Original Music
Paul Beauchamp
Sound
Nicola Gualandris
Cast and characters

Claudio Galimberti

Production Director
Luca Radaelli
Producer
Davide Ferrario, Andrea Zanoli
Production
con il sostegno di Film Commission Torino Piemonte - Piemonte Doc Film Fund - produzione dicembre 2020
Last update: 30 September 2023