What pushes a man to take on the Dakar, one of the most iconic rally competitions in the world? Since time immemorial, it's been a thirst for adventure, for challenges, but also a quest for introspection that you can only find when you're alone in the vastness of nature or, in this case, in the desert. This has given rise to the purest of stories and emotions. When it comes to Gioele Meoni, the question also acquired a different, more intimate, and more visceral meaning: "Who was my father?" The story of Fabrizio Meoni - the historic Italian rider who triumphed in the Dakar in 2001 and 2002, but whom the desert claimed only a few years later in that cursed 2005 - is inextricably linked to that of his son, who decided to undertake the same journey years later. A challenge with himself in the wake of memories, facing that very Dakar that deprived him of his father, alone with his motorcycle and the desert, following in his footsteps and filling the void of those questions.
The call of the desert, for a promise
So, what drives a man to face the danger, but also the beauty, of a competition like the Dakar? The docufilm, "Nel nome del padre", presented at the 81st Venice Film Festival and available now on Amazon Prime, tries to give an answer. Directed by Tommaso Gorani, with Irene Saderini and Cosimo Curatola as authors, in 70 minutes, we're transported on a tense journey between past and present, between memories and aspirations, from father to son, in a passing of the baton that transcends the epicity of the sport itself, in order to take on more intimate and emotional contours. While period images show us what once was - that beautiful and adventurous Dakar, made up of dunes and heavy weights - moments alternate of the family life of a man who, on the altar of passion, invested everything, even his life. We're then catapulted into the present, where his son, Gioele - now a young computer scientist, who grew up on two wheels along with his father - can't resist the call of the desert. A challenge and a promise, that of racing together, which the two had made to each other, but that was left unsolved by the cold hand of fate. So Joel is faced with the legend of his father and the desert (which claimed his life), at full throttle across the dunes and along the path of memories.
A story of men and challenges
The docufilm flows swiftly, amid memories, thoughts, and breathtaking landscapes, as it follows Gioele from the preparation of the Dakar to the start of the competition, all enhanced by Giorgio Terruzzi's narrating voice, along nterviews with the protagonists of the story, Gioele and Elena Meoni, while also availing itself of the comments of other sports icons: from Carlos Sainz to Stèphane Peterhansel, from Franco Picco to historic photographer Gigi Soldano, as well as journalists such as Paolo Ianieri, and many other important names in this sport. "In the Name of the Father" is not a simple documentary. Joel's is a story within a story, which transcends the boundaries of sports and takes on truly human traits. It is a story of men, searching for something elusive, which perhaps only the challenge of the desert can give. It is a story for lovers of two wheels and beyond. It is the story of a son who pursues the footsteps and legend of his father, perhaps in search of a challenge with himself, because to find out where we're going, we must first know where we're coming from. Produced by Ininfluencer Media, the docufilm is now available on Prime Video.