The epilogue of my CMBYN pilgrimage
I already left Crema and Italy, but still can't help thinking about those places and the whole trip.
Fun facet 1: The chairs they set up on the piazza, there's a yellow notice saying they has CCTV so you're being watched... I wonder what have people done lmao.
Fun fact 2: You know there is an interesting thing, that almost all the people in the town don't speak English, but I found this on a CD and video game store on the main street of Crema...
I mean...
Before I left Crema, I had an amazing chat with my host. We talked about the movie and some personal stuff, but I'll just share the movie related part there so not to bore people lol.
My host told me that they blocked the roads to shoot the movie, at the time no one knew what that movie is, or who were the actors and the director, but then CMBYN happened, and they're surprised and also proud of the movie. And there are definitely more foreign tourists in Crema after CMBYN, she's started hosting people before the movie, most of the people were Italian, being there visiting friends or for business, but after the movie, she has hosted people all over the world lol. She said it's great for her to actually have chances to practice her English XD
And she went to the screening they did in Crema, at the piazza Duomo. She said she's seen Armie and Luca (and Malfada lol) in the town but never able to see Tim. Her house is really close to the piazza, and she said they have seen Armie, his wife and their "two blonde children" running around the street, but most of people (still) didn't know who they are, just knew that they're not from Crema and spoke English lol.
When I asked if she's been to the midnight dancing in Crema, she said she didn't know, but she has heard it, it's quite loud and again, her place is close to the piazza... but then she knew what that midnight noises were afterwards lol.
And my lucky host, she has the pleasure to visit the Perlman villa (she showed me some pics she took), I'm sooooo jealous lmao. She's said there's a guide who has stayed at her place, because he had to take the American who was interested to buy the property there, she told me that only if you have an appointment with the estate agency, you can get in to see the house. So yeah, people, either you're a guide who happens to has a customer wanting to buy the villa, or you're a host who happens to host the guide, OR, you're some filthy rich customer who is interested to buy it. Anyway, she said it's an old house, there were some places look exactly like the movie but there were also places with spider webs...
Finally I asked her about something that I was really curious about: you said people in Crema are proud of the movie, but are they fine with Elio and Oliver being in a gay relationship? "Well," she said, "the church is very present in Crema, so some people are scandalized and did not accept the movie. Unfortunately, as in the whole world, even in Crema there are people who are still a bit dull. But fortunately the majority that I know is proud of the movie." Well, that's actually better than I expected.
Anyway, I love chatting with her and learning more about the movie related stuff, and she's really nice and friendly, and so easy to chat with. We had a pleasant and a bit inspiring talk that day. Sort of a wonderful ending to my trip there.
And I never expected that one day I'd say this, because it's cliché af, but I do think I left a piece of me in Crema. I never felt like this towards a place, and I'm SO SURPRISED. Maybe I'm like Elio, will always see the ghosts that were born of longing.
