Children are Pieces of Your Heart

1981 1h 34m IT

🙌

8.3

BANGER

⭐

4.6

IMDB

★8.3TMDB · 5★4.6IMDB · 56

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A humble organ grinder is married to a barren woman. The pair would like to adopt a child but are too poor. Suddenly a miracle seems to happen: she's pregnant. Unfortunately the baby dies and the man is forced, through hardship, to buy one from a chorus girl who wants to get rid of him. After a short time even his wife dies and the poor man brings up the child on his own, singing in taverns to make ends meet. The father and son's humble life is upset when the real father of the boy reappears and wants his child back. The two men fight to get the custody of the boy.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Mario Merola
Tommaso Maffettone
Anna Maria Ackermann
Matilde Maffettone
Michele Esposito
Felicello Maffettone
Gianni Ciardo
Nicola - the teacher
Rosalia Maggio
Donna Concetta
Ernst Thole
Véronique
Ivan Rassimov
Lorenzo Berisio
Clara Colosimo
L'ostetrica

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alfonso Brescia
Writers: Alfonso Brescia, Gino Capone
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alfonso Brescia, shot by Silvio Fraschetti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Eduardo Alfieri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Mario Merola and Anna Maria Ackermann and Michele Esposito carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082376 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alfonso Brescia directs. Silvio Fraschetti behind the camera. Eduardo Alfieri scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Alfonso Brescia, shot by Silvio Fraschetti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Eduardo Alfieri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Mario Merola and Anna Maria Ackermann and Michele Esposito carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0082376 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.