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07 December1957
Oh Bej! Oh Bej!
Author
Fondo Tamaro
Format
8mm
Duration
1'57''
Credits
Music & sound design by Lorenzo Valdesalici

The 'Oh bej! Oh bej!' fair is the market that opens Milan's Christmas season. On 7 December 1957, the day of Milan's patron saint Saint Ambrose, the tradition of this ancient market is renewed. Amateur filmmaker Tamaro, a somewhat mysterious figure of whom we only know the surname, filmed a misty 1950s Milan. On this day, he documented the fair, which took place right next to the basilica of Sant'Ambrogio: the stalls under the bell tower, seen from afar; the candyfloss kiosk, the vendors and street musicians, a kneading man. After the portraits of the human figures that animate the market, it is the turn of paintings and prints, and then more and more details, we see a mountain landscape, a portrait of a woman, a madonna, various antiques and a toy carousel. One finds a bit of everything in this market of great charm, lost and discarded objects, orphan memories that perhaps would like to be found by their owners or adopted by the first stranger who happens to be there. For a moment they are caught by the 8mm camera, which restores a trace of them. In the same way, the faces of the people working at the market and of passers-by, who ended up by chance in front of the camera and us, are restored.

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