Special mention of the Jury Students for the feature film category of the Italian Visioni Competition from the world: this is the first recognition for Nyumba, the docufilm written by Paola Bottero, directed by Francesco Del Grosso and produced by Indigo Film with the support of the Calabria Film Commission Foundation. Previewed at the Litta Theater in Milan, in competition at the 11th edition of the International Documentary Festival, Nyumba (House in Swahili), who had already been appreciated by the artistic director of the Maurizio Nichetti Festival, was awarded by the Youth Jury with this motivation: “The film has the ability to tell a story in a human and personal key without expanding in the common narration that often trivializes this theme. It allowed us to view otherwise invisible stories.
Great the emotion of the director, who withdrawn the recognition by thanking everyone. “It was not at all simple” says Francesco Del Grosso “Turn on the beach of Cutro, where there was such a terrible massacre, but we have passed any difficulty thanks to teamwork and the power of the stories we were telling. It is always beautiful to receive awards from young people. This particularly gratifies me ».
Great satisfaction also of the author. “Telling life,” explained Paola Bottero. “Put new points of view in the spotlight starting from emotions, shares, inner beauty and the strength of those who do not surrender: this was the destination I tended, and the recognition of the young jury excites me, because only they can change things. Nyumba is a story of freedom and liberation, so urgent in this crash of values we are witnessing ».
Sand Art played a fundamental role: Rachele Stranger, Calabrian too, as Calabresi by adoption Abdlaye, Alex, Hafsa, Moussa, Sisì, accompanied with his creativity the stories of their journey from Africa: “The sand gave birth to very strong images, a real emotional transfer”. Present in the room, together with the composer Marco Del Bene and the sound and mix designer Daniele Guarnera.
He followed the preview, on the stage of the Litta Theater in Milan, a very exciting moment of sharing. The conductor Alessandro Arangio Ruiz interviewed, in addition to the director and the author, Hafsa: “Seeing me on the big screen was really strange. It was me but it was not me: it is as if, telling it, the immense pain that I endured became more bearable. I think this is the reason why I told my story in the third person: the pain of that Hafsa is a very painful memory, but today Hafsa is that of the second part of the film. Today I have a house and a family in Lamezia, today my nyumba is here ».
«Soveria Mannelli, Lamezia, Caulonia, Bivongi, Reggio Calabria: it excited me a lot to see our places with the eyes of the protagonists of Nyumba. We often do not see the beauty of our Calabria, captured by everyday life. And I am not referring only to that, evident, of nature and landscapes, but also to that of people, of the welcome we know how to give. This is Calabria that must be told: I am sure that the Nyumba project will bring the best of our territory almost everywhere, and I congratulate the author, the director and the producer. ” So the president of the Calabria Film Commission Foundation, Anton Giulio Grande.
Nyumba continues its path started in Milan. It will be at the Castiglione del Cinema FF as a special event (22-28 September), in competition at the Nebrodi Cinema Doc Festival (4 October), at the Job Film Days in Turin for two special events, 1 October (at 7pm) at the factory of “and” and 2 October at the Cinema Massimo. Pending international dates.