How dyslexia told by a TV series can really bring about a cultural turning point

Nanaria it is Arianna (Valentina Filippeschi), a brilliant and dreamy eleven-year-old who starts the sixth grade discovering that the problem she had encountered in primary school has a name: dyslexia. Thus she begins to know and understand him. Through a video diary, the girl tells about her tragicomic entrance to middle school with the school misadventures also due to her disturbance and above all the discovery of the theater coursean activity that would seem the least suitable for her… But that’s how she meets the whimsical Nora (Francesca Carrain), a teacher who is attentive and ready to listen, and some wonderful travel companions with whom she finds the strength to overcome any difficulty.

Nanarìa is the protagonist of the series The Chronicles of Nanarìa (15 episodes of 25 minutes), directed by Matthew Gentiloni and produced by Rai Kids And Aurora tvavailable on RaiPlay.

As a backdrop to his adventures, a splendid work by the painter Henry Benaglia, a contemporary artist who was confronted with a belated diagnosis of dyslexia. One of his works embellishes the backdrop of the stage on which the boys move, giving it a magical and dreamy atmosphere, making it a place where everything is possible, just knowing how to imagine.

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Dyslexia, the picture of the situation in Italy

The incidence of learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dysorthography) in the Italian school population is around 5%. In adulthood, it is estimated that there are about three million people with this type of neurodiversity, “some of whom are not aware of it and risk being penalized precisely for this lack of knowledge”, he explains Andrew NovelliPresident of theaids (Italian Dyslexia Association), who has decided to sponsor the series.

How important is the fact that this issue is addressed within a television series?
«Films and theatrical performances have already talked about it, but actually The Chronicles of Nanarìa is the first series that openly addresses dyslexia. In the United States it has been a topic of study since the 1980s, but in Italy there is still a certain resistance to talking about it. In the past it was even thought that dyslexia was an emotional disorder, but over time about 40 genes have been identified linked to this type of difficulty. Instead of aiming for inclusion, we tried to “explain” it with the pupil’s desire and the idea that the school had to “select”. Something has changed over time, but there are still many steps to take».

What would you like to see the viewing public through this series?
«We really appreciated the approach of this series because it tells the objective problems, but also the self-acceptance on the part of the protagonist. It’s not easy at that age – where identity and self-image are already very delicate – to accept having to use different approaches to study. Diversity can also be positive and dyslexia forces you to create divergent thinking, or a different way of solving problems, so much so that some people with dyslexia have had great successes in life. The Chronicles of Nanarìa it narrates in a non-dramatic way – and this is a very important aspect – all the difficulties that can arise during a puberty-adolescence that already presents all its turmoil. The message is fundamentally positive.”

What kind of contribution have you made to the series as an association?
«We have been contacted since the beginning and we have given our humble opinion on the basic idea. From our point of view, a very intelligent choice was made, not opting for a description of dyslexia as something “exceptional”, but rather, giving a fairly realistic image of what life can be like (even if every boy has his own ). Rain Manto cite one example a well-known one, provides an idea of ​​exceptional autism, more connected to the type of high functioning autism».

A crucial point is also the desire to address the very young in this case…
«We are very pleased precisely because it uses a language that is right for them. Who starts the
middle school worries about image and often those with learning disabilities can
being targeted, suffering discrimination. Give a read on how it is not a deficit
cognitiveso nothing that deserves a discriminatory attitude – it being understood that no one
should be discriminated against – and also show how this girl copes with it all thanks
to the help of friends (at that stage they are often more important than family) it is definitely a
very effective way to convey concepts compared to many conferences that we can hold in schools».

In your opinion, are kids attracted to a series with this focus?
«I hope so because speaks of dyslexia by placing it within adolescence. They may be attracted by the story of a girl of their age who also has dyslexia but also because certain emotional motives are faced, the love ones».

A tool that proves to be important for the life of the protagonist is the theater, what about it
thinks?
«I come from Sant’Arcangelo di Romagna, where there has been an experimental theater festival for years.
I believe that theatrical activity is very useful for reinforcing the self-esteem of children; get used to
to oral exposure (a channel on which the dyslexic can work a lot making it a point of
strength), to the lexicon. It also reduces social anxiety as you get comfortable with being in front of an audience. There are so many “protective” factors that theater can stimulate».

As the Italian Dyslexia Association, what goals are you working on at the moment?
“We have launched a petition because we would like to obtain a framework law to protect university students with DSA as well. A great dream would be to have a complete one, which starts from compulsory schools up to the world of work, combining all the regulations in a single. I hope this television series can represent the communication channel we seek with that generation so that it is better than we have been. Through our commitment we hope to be able to involve the institutions, including municipalities and local realities. I know we are in utopia, but I want to believe it. There shouldn’t be laws to help children and people, it should come naturally.”