The War is Over is based on the heart-wrenching true story of the “Children of Selvino” – 800 child Holocaust survivors cared for by former soldiers in a little northern Italian town. In real life, they ended up living in a school formerly used by Fascist elites. In the drama, they find refuge on a seemingly abandoned estate owned by a marchioness with her own tragic connections to the war.

The drama also depicts a team of helpers caring for the children – a psychologist, a pediatrician, a teacher, a soldier from the Jewish Brigade in Palestine. Together, they breathe life back into their young charges.

Fans of The Young Montalbano will recognize Michele Riondino as the engineer searching for his missing wife and son. He helps the group with equipment on the estate and strikes up a connection with Giovanni, a five-year-old struck mute from trauma.

A lot has been written about the famous “Children of Selvino.” The town built a museum about them and in recent years, some of the remaining survivors have met there for reunions.

Further reading:

• After seven-year campaign, Selvino Children’s Museum finally opens its doors
• Wikipedia – Selvino children
• Children of Selvino: post-Holocaust life in an Italian town
• It was a refuge for hundreds of child Holocaust survivors. Now it is a museum

You can also track down the book by Israeli author Aharon Megged, “The Story of the Selvino Children: Journey to the Promised Land,” which provided source material for the series and is credited at the end of each episode.