ALMENO UNA E’ SALVA. (Partisans, part 4 of 4.)

Stella “Stellina” Vecchio: she participated in the resistance as a “relay”, as many women did. On April 25, 1945 she was in
charge to bring the news to Niguarda insurrection in Milano along with a pregnant companion, and they were using the bycicle. She survived, but witnessed the death the other one at the dawn of liberation.

Elio tell us that, having to stay hidden because of rastrellamenti, he ran away during the night to meet his friends and play piano covering the keyboard with material: half a music for a complete youth.

Giuseppe met his enemy’s nephews, whose lives he decided to spare at that time, and asked them if he would be alive now, had he been the armless one.

Stellina and Nori are strong and proud. Elio underlines that Italian Resistance wouldn’t have existed without them, the women: a Resistance made of firm legs to cycle for kilometres and hands ready to cover with new clothes those who were in the need of them.

Stellina hold us back at the door when we leave: she wants to talk about Italian Constitution, but time is over, we’ll be back.

Giuseppe hurries us up out of the door with a smile, a new newspaper is due to be at the newsstand today and he can’t wait to read it.

Memory and awareness that these people carry with them cannot, and should not, disappear into nothing.

Italy 2009, photo/video: Andrea Boscardin/Arianna Sanesi, editing: Andrea Boscardin.