Development The film, Calzavara's directorial debut, was based on an original story by Giuseppe Zucca, a frequent collaborator of
Alessandro Blasetti. Zucca later recalled that his idea dated back to Blasetti's
Vecchia guardia (1934), where he noticed the ease of child actor Mario Brambilla in a propaganda role. Zucca wrote of wanting to depict “a real group of Italian boys, true boys, not sentimental
deamicisian heroes.”
Filming Piccoli naufraghi found production support from the newly founded Alfa Film and Mediterranea Film, both of which ceased activity the following year. Shooting began in July 1938 at the
Pisorno studios in
Tirrenia, then moved to the
Isola del Giglio, where exterior scenes were filmed under difficult conditions. When cinematographer Arturo Gallea left the production, Aldo Tonti replaced him, also making his debut.
Casting Besides a few adult performers (including Riccardo Freda as Santelmo, before becoming a director himself), the main roles were played by twelve boys aged 10–13, chosen from about 1,600 applicants to a casting call published in
Il Messaggero. Before filming, the boys received training from instructors of the
GIL. They were joined by Somali child actor
Ali Ibrahim Sidali, who had previously appeared in
Sentinelle di bronzo (1937).
Historical context From 1936, the Fascist regime urged cinema to glorify colonial conquests: “Cinema can serve the Empire also as art, and reality itself will inspire artists so that the Italian Empire will have its Kipling.”
Piccoli naufraghi represented a youth version of this theme. The importance attached to the film is shown by GIL's cooperation, by Minister
Giuseppe Cobolli Gigli’s visit to the set, and by the regime’s request—resisted by the production—that the boys wear
Balilla uniforms. == Release and reception ==