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Lampo, il cane viaggiatore by Elvio Barlettani, is a true account of the authors

relationship and friendship with a stray dog. The book was published by Garzanti, and we

own the rights.

Between 1953 and 1961, a very special stray dog that went by the name of Lampo

played a big part in the lives of railwayman Elvio and his daughter Mirna. Lampo was a free

spirit who arrived to the Tuscan town of Campiglia Marittima via a cargo train, and quickly

became known to the community for his incredibly sharp intelligence and sense of

orientation. Not only did Lampo learn all of the train times, the connections and the

different types of convoys; he also travelled to and from Elvios town, Piombino, twice a

day to walk little Mirna to and from school.

Although Lampo chose to live his life affectionately by the side of Elvio and his family, he

retained his freedom and did not deprive himself of the typical adventures of a wandering

dog. His vagrant nature mixed with the sweetness and faithfulness that only a dog can

offer. Lampos adventures riding trains soon became legendary, and as a beloved member

of the community, a monument was erected in his honour when he passed away.

The story of Lampo quickly made headlines at the time; numerous articles about him came

out on major local newspapers, as well as in American and French ones. Even the Italian

television channel ran a service about Lampo in 1958. In 1973, the Walt Disney company

asked for the storys rights, with the intent to create an animation picture based on

Lampos extraordinary life.

The story of Lampo is spontaneous and lovely, and its message comes across naturally:

loving a dog is as important as loving a human being. It is a story about the friendship

between a man and a dog that chose to live its life travelling and discovering a bit more

about our world.

It is a feel-good story whose main target is children, whether they be physically young, or

whether they be the inner child that all of us older people carry. It is a perfect story to be

told through the cinematic medium, and now more than ever do we need an uplifting story

such as this one, to get us back in touch with our inner child.

Link to the television service on Lampo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-VZ6d22gfQ

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LAMPO, THE TRAVELLING DOG

Subject for feature film by Jessica Giaconi e Erika Pascucci

A long row of processionary pines is crawling on the road. A dogs face gets close to one of

the red worms, and just as the poisonous insect is about to sting it, a mans hand grabs the

dog and pulls it away. It is Elvio, a 35-year-old railwayman, and his dog Tigre. Elvio scolds

the dog much like a mother does when teaching a child to cross the road. The relationship

between Elvio and Tigre seems to be one between man and man, rather than one between

a man and a dog; the two even exchange what seem to be dialogues.

The cars are racing across the road, and to save the processionaries from being run over,

Elvio picks them up and sets them aside, despite the allergic reaction their touch causes.

Elvio has a stronger affinity with animals than he does to people. He lives in the town of

Piombino with his wife Giacomina, who does not share his passion for these furry

creatures, and their daughter Mirna, who has recently started preschool and who has

inherited her fathers love for animals.

Every day, Elvio and Giacomina take their daughter to school and then go to the train

station, where Giacomina works with her parents at the coffee shop, whilst Elvio takes the

train to go to Campiglia Marittima (a town 15km away) where he works in the stations

ticket office. The first thing Elvio does is rip off a page from the calendar to update it to the

current day: the year is 1953. From his office window he sees a dog getting off from a

cargo train. He cannot make out what kind of dog it is, nor does he see any owners around.

Elvio goes towards the dog and, much like with Tigre, starts talking to it, explaining that it

simply cannot stay at the station. But as soon as Elvio starts walking away, the dog follows

him. The two begin a sort of stop-and-stare game: when Elvio turns to look at the dog, it

stops, only to follow him again as soon as the man starts walking. Elvio tries to send the

dog away but his efforts are lost, seeing as the dog seems to have chosen him. Elvio talks

to it again, explaining why he cannot keep it. Elvios colleagues make fun of him for

speaking to the dog the way he does. Some even tease him about the lovely couple the

man and dog make. Elvio walks to his office and the dog, sure enough, continues to follow

him, stopping just outside the door.

Once home, Elvio tells Tigre all about his encounter with the mutt (exaggerating a few

aspects for the sake of story-telling). Mirna, who has been secretly listening all along, is

outraged with her father for leaving the poor dog behind, forcing it to spend the night all

alone. Tempted to go back to get the dog, Elvio is stopped by his wife, and tries to console

his daughter. Exhausted from comforting her, Elvio eventually falls asleep in Mirnas bed.

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The next morning, Elvio opens the door to his office and is (pleasantly) surprised by the

dog who jumps up and down with joy upon seeing the man. Elvio is puzzled: he cannot

understand how the dog was able to get in to his office, or why it got off at Campiglia the

day before. Elvios colleagues nickname the dog Lampo (Thunder), for making its way

into the station so quickly. Elvio can only accept the love the dog is showing him and take it

in, aware however, that Tigre wont be too pleased about this new family addition.

After work, Elvio fashions a cot for Lampo in his office, and makes sure he has water and

food. Goodnight, see you in the morning!. And Elvio jumps on the train back home to

Piombino. The landscape flashes by outside the train windows. Like every evening, the

trains ticket inspector says hello to Elvio as he walks by. All of a sudden, an enthusiastic

Lampo pops out from under Elvios seat. A surprised and slightly worried Elvio hides the

dog and pretends not to see him to avoid getting into trouble.

Once they arrive to Piombino, Elvio tries to discourage Lampo from following him, but he

eventually gives up and allows Lampo to go home with him. Whilst Mirna is overjoyed

upon seeing the new dog, Giacomina is not as pleased, much like Tigre who quickly gets

into a brawl with Lampo, forcing Elvio to intervene and separate them. The man, however,

does not succeed, and is wounded in the process. Upon seeing their owner exhausted and

injured, the two dogs eventually stop fighting and both lick Elvios wound in an attempt to

make it better.

Mirna hides Lampo in her room, in the middle of her pile of dolls and stuffed animals. He

blends in so well that Giacomina does not even notice him. She does, however, walk into

her husband and Tigre having one of their usual chats, with Elvio asking Tigre to talk to

Lampo in dog talk and convince him to stop following him. Mirna falls asleep with a smile

on her face, and even Lampo is about to doze off, when he suddenly hears the sound of a

train in the distance.

The next morning the alarm clock goes off and, like every day, everyone in the house gets

ready to face the day. But Mirna bursts into a desperate outcry when she realizes Lampo is

no longer there. Not quite sure how to handle yet another disaster, Elvio suddenly hears

something scratching the front door from outside: it is Lampo. Why is he outside, and not

inside the house? But there is not time for questions, Elvio and Giacomina and Lampo take

Mirna to school, and the day goes on as always.

When he gets to work, Elvio hears from a colleague that he saw Lampo come into

Campiglia via train the previous night, and then take the first morning train back to

Piombino. Elvio cannot believe what he is hearing. During the following days, other

colleagues tell him the same story. It becomes clear that Lampo wants to sleep in Elvios

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office in Campiglia at night, but wants to be in Piombino in the mornings to take Mirna to

school, and in the evenings to wish her a good night.

Elvio is curious about Lampos whereabouts, and secretly follows him during the day. He

often sees Lampo standing on a rock by the sea, staring at the horizon, almost as if he were

waiting for someone.

Elvio has also realised that Lampo knows when to go to Piombino and come back by

recognizing the arrival/departure times of the Rome-Turin trains. Such trains have a dining

car, where Lampo is always given left-over food from the trains cooks, who have come to

know and love the dog.

On an unusually quiet morning, Elvio and his wife wake-up to quickly realise they have

over slept, and start shouting and screaming, blaming each other for not setting the alarm

clock. They stop arguing when they see that Mirna is not in her bed, and see Tigre barking

and growling at the window. The two parents panic, and come to the only possible

conclusion they can think of: kidnapping. It must be kidnapping! A four-year-old could not

possibly run away from home, she would not even know how to dress herself. The

kidnappers must have come in through the window, maybe drugging Tigre in the process.

Giacomina and Elvio, desperate and scared, run outside to look for Mirna. As they start

fearing for the worst, they find her close to the kindergarten, trotting along with Lampo by

her side, carrying her school bag.

Summer has arrived, and despite the heat Lampo is not tempted by the coolness of the sea

waves. One afternoon Lampo accompanies Elvio to a small, isolated beach. Whilst the man

goes for a refreshing dip, Lampo stays on shore, observing the sea as always. Suddenly

Elvio feels unwell and finds himself fighting against the strong waves. Lampo does not

waste a moment, and jumps in the water to rescue the man. It turns out that Elvio faked

drowning to see Lampos reaction. Lampo is not amused by this joke, and walks away

offended. Elvio calls and looks for him, but to no avail: nobody has seen him or knows

where he is.

Elvio, ashamed and regretting what he has done, confides in Tigre.

The following morning Lampo greets and welcomes Elvio as usual: it is as if the two dogs

have talked to each other. Elvio is overjoyed that Lampo has forgiven him, and

remembers the practical jokes the two of them have played on each other: there was the

time when Elvio hid the leftovers Lampo was given from the trains cook, and Lampo stole

Elvios hat to get back at him. Elvio apologises to Lampo, confessing that he did not realise

how important the sea was to Lampo.

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At the train station, Lampo is growing increasingly interested in trains that travel longer

distances. Just as one such train departs, Elvio realises that Lampo is missing. He knows

where the dog is going to, and communicates with the station masters of the stops he

knows the train will make. However, the following morning Lampo is back at Elvios house,

ready to walk Mirna to school. It seems the dog interrupted his journey to go back and

keep his commitment with the little girl.

After this small adventure, Lampo is even more interested in trains that travel longer

distances, and starts to travel beyond his usual stops. Elvio is still not sure how Lampo can

always catch the right train back to Campiglia. News of Lampos adventures spread, and

Lampo is nicknamed the travelling dog.

The railway men even fashion tickets for the dog that read All round free ticket for

Lampo, the railway dog, which Lampo proudly carries around his collar.

Lampo and Elvio have established a great relationship, and even the complicity between

Lampo and Tigre is at its best. Lampo has become subject of great interest even outside

Elvios household: everyone is curious to meet the famous travelling dog. Unfortunately,

there are also others who are less thrilled about a dog allowed to go in and out of offices,

and on and off trains (in the restaurant dining car, no less!).

The dog-catchers come to the train station determined to catch Lampo, who tries to run

away and hide. Elvio rounds up his colleagues for help. After several chases, the dog-

catchers eventually give up and leave. At this point the railway men take out Lampo from

where they had hid him and rejoice, naming the dog the stations mascot.

Mirna grows up, as does Lampo; Elvio talks to his dogs more than ever, and Giacomina has

finally learned to accept to live with the two dogs.

Summer has arrived, and Mirna is on holiday in the mountains, visiting her grandparents.

Elvio, Giacomina and Lampo go to pick her up by car. In the afternoon, the family goes for

a walk in the mountain town. They decide to go into a small church, without thinking that

dogs are not allowed inside. It is only a matter of minutes before the priest sees Lampo

and waves a broom at him, sending him on his way. A frightened Lampo runs away. Once

they leave the church, Elvio and his family cannot find Lampo, and start looking for him.

Evening comes, and Lampo is still nowhere to be found. Mirna cries desperately, and Elvio

and Giacomina grow increasingly worried. The following day the family must return to

Piombino, despite feeling torn knowing they are leaving Lampo behind. Elvio spreads the

word of a very generous reward for whoever should find the dog. During the car ride

home, both Mirna and Giacomina are in tears, whilst Elvio takes out his frustration and

worry by shouting and screaming at Lampo, wherever he may be. The three of them

remain quiet until at one point they see Lampo by the road. The dog recognizes them and

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yelps with joy, with Mirna hugging it and reassuring it. Lampo has walked 25 km and has

displayed great intelligence by knowing where to go and wait for the family.

Soon enough, news about the travelling dog spread even to the train passengers, who ask

about him and try to get his picture when they stop at Campiglia.

Lampos travels become more and more frequent, but Elvio knows fully well that what the

dog is doing is not exactly legal. In fact, one of the train conductors does not want Lampo

to get on and off trains as he pleases. But this is no obstacle for the clever dog, who has

come-up with ways to not get caught.

Nonetheless Elvio gets scolded by his boss, and is warned that either Lampo stays away

from the trains, or someone will lose their job. Since none of the railway men can afford to

get fired, Elvio realises that the time has come for Lampo to go. Elvio and his colleagues

decide that the best way is to board Lampo on the train that will be travelling to the

furthest destination. On the day of Lampos departure, everyone has gathered to say

goodbye. From the trains carriage, Lampo looks down at them with an imploring

expression. Thunder and lightning mark the sky, Elvio cries and the train leaves.

The days following Lampos departure are very hard on Elvio, who worries of the dangers

the dog could be facing. Elvio is tormented by his guilty conscience even at night, when he

has constant nightmares. Furthermore, when he gets home every evening, Elvio has to

face Mirna who, ever since Lampos disappearance, asks whether he has returned. Elvio

cannot find the courage to tell his daughter she will never see the dog again, so he lies and

reassures her that Lampo will be back soon. One day, exhausted and agitated, Elvio harshly

tells Mirna to forget Lampo and that he will never return. Mirnas eyes quickly well up.

Back at Campiglias station, life goes on as always, but Lampos absence is felt by everyone.

The school children ask of him, and the cooks aboard the trains call out for him to give him

the leftovers. All of the stations staff feels guilty for sending Lampo away.

Mirna no longer asks about Lampo, and Elvio thinks she is starting to forget about him. But

one night Elvio walks past her room and overhears Mirna praying to the Madonna for

Lampo to find his way back home.

Mirnas prayers seem to work, since five months later Lampo comes back. He is, however,

worse for wear: he is skinny, dirty, has scratches all over him and a haywire collar around

his neck. With his return, the Campiglia train station comes alive again, and contrary to the

vets predictions, Lampo makes a full recovery. The all-round love he is welcomed with has

a healing effect on him, and Elvio and Mirna are once again smiling. Even Elvios boss, who

was once so strict about following the rules, welcomes the dog with open arms. The news

of Lampos return spread and everyone looks for him. Lampos story becomes so notorious

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that the national television channel Rai sends a film crew to interview those who know of

the incredible adventures of this travelling dog. No one, however, knows anything about

Lampos life before his arrival to Campiglia.

One day, Elvio encounters an eccentric old man from Livorno carrying a big suitcase, who

identifies Lampo as Bigheri the American. The man says he was a small dog who had

arrived with an American steamboat, and stayed in Livorno when the boat was

unexpectedly forced to leave. This explains Lampos habit of staring at the seas horizon!

After the boat left, the dog became the companion of the sea ports guardian Beppe, the

eccentric old man telling Elvio this story. Lampo is happy to see his old master, who says he

would like for the dog to go back to Livorno with him. Elvio says that the fair thing to do is

to let the dog decide. Beppe boards the train for Livorno, and Lampo follows him, but

comes back to Campiglia just four days later. Now Elvio understands why Lampo will look

at the sea without ever jumping in! He decides to write down Lampos incredible story.

Mirnas schoolteacher is taking an impromptu driving lesson with Elvio, in his car. After he

saves them from getting into an accident, the teacher makes Elvio a proposal: he will teach

her how to drive, and in return, she will teach him how to write. Elvio happily accepts; I

will bring you the first pages of my book for you to look over.

When the teacher comes back to Elvio with the corrections, the pages are full of

corrections marked in red. My dear, you cannot write down a dogs thoughts, dogs dont

speak, she says. To which Elvio replies: I am afraid you are mistaken. You see, you can

correct all my spelling mistakes, but you cannot correct my thoughts. Dogs do speak,

maybe you just cant hear them! Elvio gathers his pages, and leaves the teachers house,

never to return.

Copies of Elvios book are on display in a bookshop window, where at one point Lampos

reflection can be seen. Mirna comes up to him and invites him to play. Lampo looks at her

and lifts his right paw towards her, as if saluting her. This image transforms into the small

monument erected in Campiglia Marittima in Lampos honour. Standing in front of the

statue is a blue-eyed woman in her sixties, wearing modern-day clothes. By her side is a

little girl who, upon looking at the statue, asks the woman: So Lampo really existed,

grandma?. The woman takes the girls hand and, as they start walking, replies Yes he did,

and he was my best friend, and my fathers best friend too. The shadow of the statue

comes to life, turning into Lampo, who trots behind older Mirna, in the old, tree-lined road

where they used to walk when Mirna was a child. The frame fades into the images of the

1958 television service about Lampo, the Travelling Dog.

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ERIKA PASCUCCI & JESSICA GIACONI

Erika and Jessica studied Film Directing together for two years at the Libera Universit del Cinema

di Roma, founded by Cesare Zavattini.

Both together and on their own, they have worked on numerous video-clips, commercials,

backstage videos and promotional videos for private companies, following different aspects, from

directing, to photography and editing. They have worked on documentaries that are currently

aired by the television programmes Alle falde del Kilimangiaro, Geo and Cronache animali.

They also promote several cultural events.

SHORT FILMS:

Ali by Erika Pascucci. Winner of the Cinecitt competition organized by the film school NUCT;

finalist at the festival headed by Nanni Moretti.

Comera dolce by Erika Pascucci. Winner of the Festival Genius Loci of Provincinema in

Monterotondo, together with the Festa del Cinema of Rome.

E gli altri ridono by Jessica Giaconi. Currently in the national and international film festival

circuit.

Ipnogames by Jessica Giaconi. Second runner-up at the Ultracorti Film Festival of Cinecitt.

La corsa di Jonathan by Erika Pascucci. Winner at the Bellinzona and FilMare of Ostia, headed by

Ettore Scola.

La patente by Jessica Giaconi. Winner of the Efebo doro Critics Award in Agrigento.

Lynda by Erika Pascucci. Winner of the Piero Vivarelli Corto XX Award for Best Performance.

Erika Jessica

+39 347 7361696 +39 338 2082379

pascuccierika@gmail.com jessicagiaconi@libero.it

Link to the short film Link to the short film

Lynda: E gli altri ridono:

https://vimeo.com/54432395 https://vimeo.com/64954891