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23 April1954
Turin Car Show
Author
Ermenegildo Boccafogli
Format
16mm
Credits
Music & mix audio by Pierpaolo Ovarini | Scuola di Sound Design del Conservatorio di Musica di Bologna.

It is 1954 and the development of four-wheel locomotion is a top priority for Italy. More cars, more roads, more advertising, more everything. At the Turin International Motor Show, which takes place between April and May, there is even a lottery involving the 'daily drawing of a car among the visitors': so we read in the poster, which serves as the title of the film by E. Boccafogli whose incipit we present. It is a great incentive for Boccafogli and his friends to travel by coach from Ferrara to the Piedmontese capital on 23 April 1954. Judging from Boccafogli's 16mm colour images, the trip is an opportunity for fun, jokes and goliardery along the way. On the road to Turin, the signs of the explosion of motorisation are increasingly evident. On the sides of the roadway, the famous Michelin little men stand out, one behind the other, while at one point one is forced to pass through the giant Atlas tyre. At the finish, however, the Goodyear blimp dominates everything from above. The tyre trade war is on. Will the Europeans or the Americans win on this front? When the group of friends enters the showroom, Boccafogli abandons the colour shots, concentrating on the portraits of the cars on display, filmed with the booth girls posing beautifully. The film continues with the visit, but we stop here. The question remains: will anyone in the Boccafogli group have been lucky enough to drive home?

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