People of the Po Valley (Gente del Po)

PEOPLE OF THE PO VALLEY

Toward the end of its course,

after gathering waters from the Alps and Apennines,

the Po River becomes navigable.

These are convoys of flat-bottomed barges

loaded with agricultural goods from the region.

It's not an easy voyage.

It's only for those who've spent a lifetime on the Po.

Their homes are on the barges.

The barge is their work, their home, their love.

Up and down the great river,

between the banks of Emilia and Veneto,

in their home they journey toward the sea.

A man...

a woman...

a little girl.

Aided by the current, their journey takes a day at the most.

From the banks the water looks as flat as asphalt.

There are washerwomen on the bank.

Beyond the banks

are the melancholy facades of country houses

where someone's always looking out at the river.

It's a hard life that never changes.

Perhaps those watching the convoys go by think about happiness,

about leaving, traveling, starting a new life.