Milan, riders, invisibles, trap music: the TV series takes a snapshot of the Lombard metropolis and offers us an intense cross-section of reality
What do Japanese manga have to do with a black boy born in Milan? This is the question that starts Zero, the new project of Netflix Italy. Zero is the Italian TV series available on the streaming platform starting April 21st, both in Italy and in 190 other countries around the world.
In the simple question, that the protagonist Omar asks the viewer in the first episodes, are contained the main themes of Zero, a project destined to remain in the history of TV in our country. In fact, this is the first series in which the protagonists are played by young black Italian actors. The audience will get to know them and become fond of them episode after episode. But this is also a series that photographs what happens in the suburbs of Milan, far from the emblazoned city center, representing all the Italian suburbs, invisible places, which we don't often hear about in the news, and also for this reason it becomes important to tell about them. The project is loosely based on the novel by Antonio Dikele Distefano entitled "Non ho mai avuto la mia età".
Why watch the TV series Zero: the main themes
The first season of Zero contains many themes, many of which were left unresolved, which will surely be explored in the second season.
The protagonist of the story is Omar, a boy who lives in the suburbs of Milan with his father and sister. However, the neighborhood where he grew up is in danger of being eliminated due to the arrival of a new real estate agency that wants to create a new residential center, forcing the community to move. Omar, insieme ai suoi amici, lotterà per impedire il trasferimento di tutte le famiglie.
Si tratta della prima serie italiana in cui i personaggi principali sono tutti ragazzi neri italiani. Ecco attori e personaggi appartenenti al cast:
- Giuseppe Dave Seke è Zero/Omar
- Haroun Fall è Sharif
- Richard Dylan Magon è Momo
- Daniela Scattolin è Sara
- Madior Fall è Inno
- Virgina Diop è Awa
- Beatrice Grannò è Anna
- Alex Van Damme è Thierno
- Frank Crudele è Sandokan
- Giordano de Plano è Ricci
- Ashai Lombardo Arop è Marieme
- Roberta Mattei è La Vergine
- Miguel Gobbo Diaz è Rico
- Livio Kone è Honey
Sullo sfondo una Milano che corre veloce e che quasi non nota ciò che succede fuori dal centro. Omar fa il rider, consegna le pizze a domicilio a bordo, vede ogni giorno centinaia di persone ma poche lo considerano davvero. Until, one day, he finds himself in front of a girl named Anna, and it's love at first sight. But that will be from the beginning a love difficult to manage, also because the two belong to two completely different realities.
Then there is the friendship, that of Zero with the other boys of the neighborhood, who together fight to bring justice and get respect. But this is also a sci-fi series. We mentioned that Omar feels almost invisible at times and soon discovers that invisibility is his super power. Thus, a weakness turns into a strength to be managed to his advantage. In the background many enemies, some even involved in the mysterious past of Omar's family. In short, the themes are really many and often you get the impression that there is a lot of meat on the fire. That's why the arrival of a second season is quite expected.
Zero, the superhero of the Milanese suburbs
Milan is definitely one of the protagonists of the TV series: it's not simply the place of setting, but a city with a thousand nuances and contradictions.
It is told in different ways: through shots from above, images and panoramic views. Omar, while working as a rider, whizzes past the Duomo and through the most famous neighborhoods. But it is also told the multi-ethnic Milan. To perfect the whole, the music cannot be missing. The soundtrack of the series in fact is a beautiful mix that combines the Maneskin to Tommaso Paradiso, up to Marracash and Mahmood. The two rappers have also written songs specifically for the TV series.
In short, the TV series Zero is a product full of ideas, to be enjoyed even in a few days with its 10 episodes. All that remains is to watch the first season on Netflix.