The Secret Life of Toys
Synopsis
“What if toys were the only objects that dream?” This is the phrase that underpins the documentary, which follows one of the most famous and last master toymakers in Italy today, Roberto Papetti, on a journey to connect with children throughout Italy.
Roberto holds workshops centered around the toys that best represent him: to Palermo, he brings the fruit crate bestiary, to the Venice Lido, the Mermaid, and to Rome, the Pacifici.
These toys come to life in animation, representing the animist soul that Roberto and the children attribute to the toy and lending a touch of magic to the story.
Founder of the environmental education center “La Lucertola” in the 1980s, he is a national reference point for early childhood education. Today, Roberto Papetti’s research develops both on a purely artistic level, where he attributes the value of toys as works of art, exhibited in dedicated exhibitions, and on the pedagogy of play within Italian play culture, continuing to attract a wide following among numerous teachers and scholars.
A documentary about the self-construction of toys to address today’s most pressing and universal issues: peace, ecology, recycling, the critique of consumerism, and the transmission of knowledge.
Trailer
Director’s vision
One of Roberto Papetti’s most iconic quotes is: “It’s not a good idea, it’s just an idea!”
An open and non-judgmental creative approach gives rise to continuous experimentation. Drawing on his extensive artistic and educational experience, he now feels the urge to share his knowledge.
Roberto guides the narrative through a “thought voice” that accompanies the film, intertwining with images of his work: we see him designing, building, traveling, reading, and reflecting. The texts that inspire him become living matter and are transformed into projects and toys.
In the workshops held in the Venice Lido, Rome, and Palermo, his gaze intertwines with that of the children. Here, play becomes an opportunity for learning and shared imagination, addressing themes such as ecology, peace, and recycling.
In Ravenna, the film delves into the protagonist’s most intimate dimension: the collection of natural materials, the work in his studio, and the preparation of his first major retrospective at the MAR, an important recognition of his artistic research.
Throughout the film, Roberto constructs a work that is only revealed at the end: the Equilibrista, a land art installation along the Lamone River, a memorial to the 2023 flood and a symbol of the fragile relationship between humanity and nature.
The toys come to life through stop-motion animations that convey Papetti’s animist conception and accompany children’s magical thinking.
The documentary finally reflects on the role of toys today: not simply objects of consumption, but tools of imagination, education, and community. The caravan built by the children will invade the neighborhood skate park in a collective sit-in to spread their message of peace.
Credits
Festivals and prizes
world premiere at 22° Biografilm Festival
