Streaming Impegno. Opportunities and contradictions of digital distribution through the case of 'On my skin'

In September 2018, the day-and-date release of On My Skin/Sulla mia pelle (dir. Alessio Cremonini) on the Italian theatrical circuit, as well as on the global SVOD platform Netflix, caused unprecedented stir among national film industry professionals, politicians, and even prompted Andrea Occhipinti, one of the film’s producers and long-time head of Italy’s main distribution association to resign from this role. The Italian Minister of Culture himself reacted by turning into law what had previously been a self-regulatory practice among Italian distributors of respecting a 105-days window after theatrical release (D.M. n.531 of 29/11/2018). Such debate over the regulation of theatrical vs. online film distribution echoes similar ones that are happening in France and worldwide, as a result of Netflix’s growing commitment to film production. However, the Italian case of On My Skin also raises particular issues, connected to the film’s political topic, i.e. the story of 31-years-old Stefano Cucchi, who died in October 2009 from the beating received while under police custody for drug-related charges. This paper draws on semi-structured interviews with On My Skin’s producers to investigate the complex, contradictory role that digital platforms like Netflix play in the circulation of Italian contemporary cinema, and notably of so-called cinema of impegno (Burns 2001; Antonello & Mussgnug 2009). Netflix boosts the - still struggling (Holdaway & Scaglioni 2018) - international circulation of Italian cinema: This is especially important for political films like On My Skin, which, according to its producers, performed well in countries with authoritarian governments. However, Netflix does so from within the political-economic framework of a globalized capitalist media giant. In terms of domestic circulation, On My Skin’s release on Netflix has damaged its theatrical performance, but it has also spurred grassroot screenings in public squares and universities across the country, which speak to the film’s broader cultural and political resonance.