Why a Booktrail?
1970s: The book which inspired the film Il Postino – a story of young love inspired by the poetry of Pablo Neruda
The Postman
What you need to know before your trail
The Postman tells of young love ignited by the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Set in the years leading up to the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, Mario does not want his life to be that of a fisherman. So instead he decides to be a postman for the island just of the chilean mainland. His only customer – the only resident who is literate is Chile’s most beloved poet, Pablo Neruda, who is living in exile.
The friendship between the postman and the poet blossoms, Mario begs Neruda for advice on how win over the love of his life, Beatriz. So Neruda teaches him how to woo her and the dance of the two poets starts in earnest.
Travel Guide
An island off the coast of Chile – but in reality one inspired by Capri in Italy
The landscape which inspired the setting for the film can be visited here: capritourism.com One of the major landmarks here is the Blue Grotto
“Here on the Island, the sea, so much sea. It spills over from time to time. It says yes, then no, then no. It says yes, in blue, in foam, in a gallop. It says no, then no. It cannot be still. My name is sea, it repeats, striking a stone but not convincing it. Then with the seven green tongues, of seven green tigers, of seven green seas, it caresses it, kisses it, wets it, and pounds on its chest, repeating its own name.”
The island is that of Capri in reality as this was where the Italian historian Edwin Cerio had a villa where he stayed in order to escape the life in Chile at the time.
The filming locations for this story included Pollara, Salina Island and Messina for the beach and rural scenes to Procida Island for the village and harbour scenes.
This novel is Chile’s love affair with Neruda and so the booktrail below illustrates his influence in Chile and the places where he lived.
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