You know the look on someone’s face when they achieve something that they’ve worked really hard for?
It’s the look that you see with babies when they first learn how to walk, and the look that grooms have when they see their soon-to-be wife walk down the aisle. Now, it can also be found beaming from the faces of a dozen-odd Italian grannies who call themselves the Funne.
According to the BBC, they’re all members of a local club for the elderly who get together a few times a week. They’re mostly widows, with an average age of 80, and many of them have spent their whole lives in the tiny village of Daone in the Italian Alps.
Their dream? To go on a trip to the seaside. Most of the funne have never seen the ocean, and have talked for years about trying to raise the money for a trip.
Finally, about a year ago, three of them decided to make it happen. Erminia, Armida, and Iolanda organized a bake-sale to kick off their fundraising efforts.
When that fell flat, they teamed up with documentary filmmaker Katia Bernardi. She suggested borrowing from film, creating a less-salacious variation on the movie Calendar Girls with one (fully-clothed) funne for every month. This effort was more successful, but they were still far from their goal.
Finally, Erminia’s grandson suggested crowdfunding. At first, she was skeptical.
“I said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous, who’s going to give money to a bunch of old ladies who want to go to the seaside?’ They’ll say, ‘If you want to go to the seaside, you can pay for yourselves.’ ”
Fortunately for Erminia, she was wrong. Just two weeks ago, the funne traveled to Croatia to see the ocean for the very first time!
Sea dreaming girls – Teaser ENG from Jump Cut on Vimeo.
Erminia, Armida, and Iolanda step into the ocean in Ugljan, Croatia
The funne chose Ugljan as their sea-faring destination because the town shares a patron saint with their own small village in the Alps: the Madonna of the Snow.
The ladies bought matching swimsuits in anticipation of the trip.
They aren't convinced that they want to wear them though. Iolanda, right, one of the youngest of the 'sea-dreaming girls,' confessed, "I don't know if I'll put it on. At 73, I'm not sure my physique will allow it."
The funne all posed for a picture on the beach when they arrived.
Their group expanded thanks to the extra money donated to their fundraising page, and more of the ladies of Daone made the voyage.
One of their initial plans was to make a calendar.
Though the calendar wasn't successful, the idea was to create images of each of the funne living her dream. According to the BBC, the ladies chalk up this initial failure to local disapproval and jealousy.
Erminia and Armida take to the streets for their cause
Two of the three ringleaders drove through the streets of Daone this past winter to promote their calendar.
Finally, the month of August arrives!
The ladies chose August for their trip in order to align their voyage with the feast day for their village's patron saint on August 5th.
Despite claims to the contrary, all three of the leaders wore their new bathing suits as they stepped into the water.
This is the moment they've been working for all year. "Despite the infirmities of age, swollen legs and the great heat, we will never forget the thrill of getting all together in the sea, holding hands," says Armida, speaking for all three.
These incredible women are living proof that you should never give up on your hopes. Please SHARE with every dreamer that you know! Anything is possible if you believe in yourself.
