Netflix adds to its catalog El Falsario, a film that combines elements of thriller, historical drama and crime, set in Rome in the 1970s.
The film takes place in a period marked by instability in Italy, crossed by ideological tensions, political violence and the presence of organized crime.In this context, El Falsario presents a young artist who fails to establish himself within the traditional artistic circuit.
In the absence of recognition and opportunities, their ability to imitate styles, reproduce documents and replicate symbols begins to acquire a different value outside the cultural sphere.
The plot follows the path of the protagonist when his talent makes him a functional piece for criminal organizations that operate in the shadows of the Italian capital.
Their work is no longer linked to conventional artistic creation and begins to play a strategic role within networks dedicated to deception and manipulation.
Throughout the story, the film shows how falsification can have consequences that transcend the economic and impact on the political and social level.
One of the axes of the film is the way in which the protagonist’s creative process is presented.The narrative spends time portraying his working method, the attention to detail and the technical precision with which he carries out each forgery.
Forgery, which initially appears as a professional outlet, becomes a permanent source of tension.
Although The Forger is a work of fiction, its starting point is inspired by the real figure of Antonio “Toni” Chichiarelli, an Italian forger active during the 1970s and 1980s. Chichiarelli was known for his technical skill and for his ties to organized crime in Rome.
Antonio was known for his extraordinary technical skill in the falsification of documents, graphic works and printed material.Before fully entering the criminal circuit, he tried to develop an artistic career without success.
One of the most remembered episodes associated with Antonio “Toni” Chichiarelli was his indirect intervention in the context of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro, the leader of the Christian Democracy, when he prepared a false statement attributed to the Red Brigades.
That document contributed to generating confusion at a particularly delicate moment for the Italian government.Later, in 1984, he was linked to the Brink’s Securmark robbery, in which an estimated sum of 35 billion lire was stolen.
After that robbery, Chichiarelli left false material at the crime scene as part of a strategy to disorient the authorities.However, his activity had a quick outcome: less than six months later, he was murdered.
The film takes up this ending as part of its narrative structure, adapting it to the needs of fiction.The Forger has been available on Netflix since January 23.
