Momo (1986 film)

CountriesWest Germany
Italy

Momo is a 1986 fantasy film directed by Johannes Schaaf and based on the 1973 novel Momo by Michael Ende. It is about the concept of time and how it is used by humans in modern societies. The film features the final acting role of actor / writer / director John Huston.

In the ruins of an amphitheatre just outside an unnamed Italian city lives Momo, a little girl of mysterious origin. She is remarkable in the neighbourhood because she has the extraordinary ability to listen—really listen. By simply being with people and listening to them, she can help them find answers to their problems, make up with each other, and think of fun games.

This pleasant atmosphere is spoiled by the arrival of the Men in Grey. These strange individuals represent the Timesavings Bank and promote the idea of timesaving among the population, time which can be deposited to the Bank and returned to the client later with interest. In reality, the more time people save, the less they have. The time they save is actually lost to them, consumed by the Men in Grey. Momo, however, is a wrench in the plans of the Timesaving Bank thanks to her special personality.

• Radost Bokel - Momo
• Leopoldo Trieste - Beppo
• Bruno Stori - Gigi
• Mario Adorf - Nicola
• Armin Mueller-Stahl - leader of grey men
• John Huston - Meister Hora
• Concetta Russino - Liliana
• Sylvester Groth - agent BLW/553 X
• Ninetto Davoli - Nino
• Francesco De Rosa [it] - Herr Fusi
• Elide Melli - Frau Daria
• Michael Ende - train passenger (writer of the story told by Master Hora)

This film was a German-Italian co-production in which Michael Ende himself played the role of the passenger in the train (who is told the story by Master Hora and writes it down). It appears that Ende, unhappy with how the film based on The Neverending Story did not follow the spirit of the book faithfully enough, requested to be involved more directly in filming Momo.

• Momo trailer
• Momo at IMDb