A story that speaks to the heart and puts its finger on a social plague, called abandonment. “Gli angeli invisibili” ( Italy, 2020, 52 ‘ ) is a docu-film by Vincenzo Peluso , Neapolitan actor, director, songwriter, editor and producer.

Through the story of Ben, a large dog abandoned by his owner in a kennel , we explore what is still a huge problem in Italy, on the other hand reporting the experiences of people – volunteers and animal lovers – who daily put their own time, their energies and their passion at the service of the cause.

Ben and the invisible angels

Ben is a 33 kg chow chow, left in the kennel in Caserta by his owner, with the promise – not kept – to come back to pick him up after a few months. Italy was in full lockdown , when an Apulian lady read that the dog needed “an adoption of the heart” ( the adoption of animals with problems or diseases, therefore even more difficult to place , Ed) urgently. 

Therefore, the volunteers were called to get news of the animal which, in the meantime, was letting itself die of starvation and loneliness, she offered to take it with her.After the verification by the volunteers of his suitability, the lady – who wanted to remain anonymous – started the procedures for adoption and managed, through a relay race, to get Ben to Bari, to his new home . 

Starting from this story with a happy ending, Peluso then went backwards, interviewing eight volunteers – Melina, Carmine, Rosa and other “angels” capable of moving with determination in silence, behind the scenes – who recounted their experiences in front of the movie camera. 

Thus, the film becomes an exhibition of the virtuous chain that allows you to observe all the stages of an often underestimated process : from abandonment to reporting the lost animal to the volunteers ., from recovery to medical care provided, from the search for a new human companion, up to the hoped-for adoption and eventual relay race to make him reach his destination safe and sound.

A long journey

The project, which lasted about seven months , led the director to visit kennels and shelters to have the perspective necessary to reconcile, in some way, the guilty human world with the animal one. The result of a proven professional collaboration of pre and post-production, “Gli angeli invisibili” is produced by IFM, EMMEZETA and Vippicinemaproductions. 

” I didn’t want to tell raw stories but the humanity of these people who take care of the animals every day ” Peluso declared to Corriere della Sera .” The happiness of a dog is to have the caresses of its owner and to feel loved, neither more nor less than a human being “.

A tribute to the solidarity chain

” This docufilm is a tribute to the volunteers and to all the related supply chains who give themselves, every day, with all their heart to heal the unworthy, indecent and very sad disgrace of abandonment ” writes the director on YouTube, accompanying the publication of the trailer for the medium-length film . 

An appeal to consciences which, through the narration of virtuous examples, can restore to the word “humanity” that meaning which – when one decides to abandon a faithful life partner – was totally lost. 

Winner of the Doc Award at the Dog Film Festival (Italian film festival entirely dedicated to the dog and its relationship with man), ” Gli angeli invisibili ” was also awarded theNeptune Arts Award . Finally, it was in competition at the David di Donatello 2020/21 and at Cinemambiente 2021 , in the “Made in Italy” section.