Francesco Donni’s documentary tells the incredible story of the Afro Napoli United team. It has been selected in about twenty festivals and has won numerous awards.
The title plays ambiguously on the words “loro” (them) and “l’oro” (gold), which references a famous film from the 1950s, The Gold of Naples (original title: L’oro di Napoli) directed in 1954 by Vittorio De Sica.
Moments of life in the bustling city of Naples, where Vittorio De Sica spent his early years, The Gold of Naples is composed of six episodes inspired by the lively stories of Giuseppe Marotta. This film unveiled a young actress who became globally famous: Sofia Loren.
This time, Naples is the stage for other stories, those of immigrants who gather around their passion, football.
In Naples, football is an institution. This club has a unique characteristic: it is predominantly made up of foreigners and young people born in Naples to foreign parents and thus considered as such. They come from Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Senegal, Brazil and do not have residence permits. One, the child of a Moroccan mother and a Neapolitan father who did not recognize him, is stateless.
They all share the dream of one day regularizing their situation.
The film is a very sensitive chronicle, a beautiful immersion among these young people who struggle against the laws, have doubts, get angry, and become discouraged…
Alongside them, or even better, among them, there is the remarkable figure of Antonio, the modest but tenacious club president, who moves heaven and earth to support them.
Why? Because “the gold of Naples” is also them!
For the record: Afro Napoli United moved up from the 8th to the 5th national division in 5 years.
