Rights and Might: Cultural counter-narratives of the migrant and refugee experience | University of Westminster_Refugee week 22-25 June 2017

Dear all,
it's my pleasure to announce the upcoming conference I've had the pleasure to co-organise with a number of colleagues from the University of Westminster.

You can find all details in the eventbrite page, where you can also register.

For a draft programme see below

Dialogues on Migration_17 Nov 2016 4pm. London School of Economics

This panel is designed to prompt a discussion about research on the move: the challenges mobility poses for fieldwork and analysis, and the scope it offers for creative responses. Researching migration, asylum, and mobility from media and cultural studies perspectives through embodied methodologies requires close attention to liminality, silence, and experiences of dislocation.

Presentations:

Tracing the transcultural subjectivity of unaccompanied refugee minors through ethnography, Anna-Kaisa Kuusisto-Arponen, University of Tampere/LSE

Debris: collaborative explorations of abandoned objects from Lampedusa, Karina Horsti, University of Jyväskylä/LSE

Documentary film screening: WRECK (2016, 10 min., Director Jan Ijäs, script: Karina Horsti and Jan Ijäs)

Introduction: Professor Lilie Chouliaraki,
Chair: Anna Roosvall, Associate Professor, Fellow (Stockholm University/LSE)
Discussant: Pierluigi Musaro, Associate Professor, Fellow (University of Bologna/LSE)

17th November 2016, 4pm-6pm
Silverstone Room, Department of Media and Communications
Tower 3, 7th floor
Image: courtesy of Jan Ijäs

ARCHIVE-AS-METHOD SALON-Italian Colonial Heritage UoL 5 Dec

ARCHIVE-AS-METHOD SALON
Working with Visual Documents of the Italian Colonial Heritage

Monday 5th of December 2016, 3.30-6.30pm

Presentations, short-film screenings and Q&A with:
Alessandra Ferrini, Gianmarco Mancosu, Martina Melilli and Jacopo Rinaldi

This Salon brings together artists, filmmakers and historians in order to discuss methodological approaches to the exploration and activation of colonial, archival material. Given the recent interest in the Italian colonial past, the salon aims to shed light onto a previously marginalised historical period.

The first part of the salon will introduce to the fascist imperial project and its legacy through Gianmarco Mancosu's research based on the newsreels on the Ethiopian War of 1935-36 and Alessandra Ferrini's essay film and pedagogic project Negotiating Amnesia (2015), which is based on archival photographs and propaganda postcards from the same period. The second part of the salon will kick off with Martina Melilli's presentation of an ongoing body of work stemming from her family's history in the Libyan colony and in Italy, after the expulsion of Italians from Libya in 1970. It will be followed by Jacopo Rinaldi's problematisation of the truthfulness of archival material, through his research in the Pirelli Historic Archive (Milan), and the production of works exploring the rubber industry. To conclude, the four researchers will be in conversation and will open up the debate to the public.

Free, but seats are limited. To book a place, please email us at mnemoscape@gmail.com

University College London, SH243, 2nd floor, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

***

PROGRAMME

3.30-3.45 Introduction

3.45-4.15 Gianmarco Mancosu
"Deconstructing The Imperial Visual Archive: Production, Reproduction, Resignification Of The Fascist Newsreels On The Ethiopia War." (Includes screening of newsreels)

4.15-4.45 Alessandra Ferrini
"Negotiating Amnesia: Activating Images and Questioning Memories" (Includes screening of excerpts from Negotiating Amnesia, 2015)

4.45-5.00 Break

5.00-5.30 Martina Melilli
"TRIPOLITALIANS: building a personal archive to narrate a shared story." (Includes screening of short films from TRIPOLITALIANS)

5.30-6.00 Jacopo Rinaldi
"Can an Archive Lie?" (Includes screening of A Romance of Rubber, loop, 2015)

6.00-6.30 Q&A and Open Discussion

***

BIOS

Alessandra Ferrini is a London-based artist, researcher and educator, co-founding director of the research platform and online magazine Mnemoscape. Her work is rooted in lens-based media, (post)colonial and memory studies, historiographical and archival practices. She holds an MA in Art ad Visual Culture from the University of Westminster.

Gianmarco Mancosu is PhD Student at the University of Warwick. His research interests are the representations of colonialism in Italy between Fascism and the Republic, and related recollections in contemporary visual products. He is currently working on a monograph about the Istituto Luce’s 'Reparto Foto-Cinematografico Africa Orientale', which he studied in his first doctoral work (Cagliari, 2015).

Martina Melilli is an Italian visual artist and filmmaker. She graduated with a master degree in Visual Arts (IUAV), with a major in Documentary and Experimental Cinema (LUCA School of Arts). Her research deal with the representation of the individual and collective imagery in relation with memory and “belonging”.

Jacopo Rinaldi is an artist and researcher living in Rome. He graduated in Milan with a master’s degree in Visual Art and Curatorial Studies at Naba. His research concerns the relation between memory, oblivion and architecture in the transmission of knowledge.

Preview of Fuocoammare (Fire at Sea) by Gianfranco Rosi_London 2 June 2016

In collaboration with BFI, Counterpoints Arts presents a Refugee Week Preview of Fire at Sea. Directed by Gianfranco Rosi, Fire at Sea is a powerful and beautifully-shot documentary film focusing on the experiences of Lampedusans as they struggle to deal with the thousands of North African and Middle Eastern refugees arriving daily to the island.
The film won the Golden Bear at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival and marks a new wave in documentary film-making that directly engages with the refugee crisis and its victims, many of whom have perished in the Mediterranean sea.

This documentary follows the life of 12-year-old Samuele, a local boy whose life is entrenched in traditional island culture. It thoughtfully examines to what extent the daily lives of Lampedusans are affected by the arrival of refugees, using the perspective of the island doctor to serve as a bridge between each side.

‘Rosi contrasts the tough but essentially content, settled conditions of the Lampedusans with the terrifying uncertainty experienced by the incomers.’

– From the Guardian review of Fire at Sea by Andrew Pulver.

Fire at Sea is a delicate testimony to the struggle of refugees and will provide an important contextualisation of the current refugee crisis ahead of Refugee Week (20th-26th June 2016) as one of many events organised throughout June.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion (guests to be confirmed).
Tickets available on the BFI website.

Watch the film’s trailer here.

Don't miss this event I have organized: a double screening by director Luca Vullo on Italian emigration (before and after) at University of Westminster on the 25th of May, 6pm.

The Department of Languages and Cultures of the University of Westminster is pleased to present the screening of two documentaries by Italian filmmaker Luca Vullo, followed by a discussion with the director.

From Sulphur to Coal (52’, 2008) A documentary on the historical emigration of thousands of miners and their families from Italy to Belgium at the end of World War II following the 1946 Italo-Belgian Agreement. Labourers sold for coal's sacks between economic interests, human rights crushed and occupational safety non existent.

AND

Influx - Europe is moving* (15’, 2015) London has never attracted so many Italians as in the last few years. In a period when European immigration is continuously debated in politics, INFLUX, through the perspective of well-established Italian immigrants offers an emotional self-analysis that reveals the strengths and weaknesses of Italians, showing the uniqueness of their mentality as well as their contradictions.

*This is a preview of the full version that will  be released in London cinemas in June 2016. 

The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the director Luca Vullo and prof. Nicola Mai (University of Kingston). Some of he people interviewed for the documentary Influx will also be present.

The event will be chaired by Dr Federica Mazzara (University of Westminster). For further information please contact: f.mazzara@westminster.ac.uk

All details here. Please note registration is required!

On the Bride's Side_King's College 15th October 2015

Dear all,

On the Bride Side by Antonio Augugliaro, Khaled Soliman Al Nassiry and Gabriele Del Grande arrives in London. You can find all details on this link. Please note the event is free but you need to reserve a seat.
I will have the pleasure and honour to chair the panel discussion that will follow the screening of the film/documentary.
Join this amazing event! 

Io sto con la sposa | On the Bride's Side

Io sto con la sposa (On The Bride's Side), a documentary by Gabriele del Grande,  Khaled Soliman Al Nassiry and Antonio Augugliaro, telling how a group of Syrian refugees staged a fake wedding to cross Europe safely and reach Sweden, is out in Italian cinema from the 9th of October, after an amazing success at the Biennale in Venice!
Find out more about the film and the crowdfunding project behind it here. 
Read also:
Facebook page
Digicult 
France24
 

Lampedusa in Festival 19-23 July 2012

Support the Lampedusa in festival. Find all details about the Festival here.

Love in the Time of the Frontier - Film Screenings UCL 16 May 2012

It's with great pleasure that I announce this coming event. The Italian journalist Gabriele del Grande, known especially for his contribution to the study of immigration into Italy and for the incredibly informative blog he has created called Fortress Europe (an indespensable source of information on migratory catastrophes) will be at UCL on Wednesday 16th of May 2012. He will present the three short movies he produced, by director Alexandra D'Onofrio who will also be present. The event is organized by Alice Elliot (UCL Social Anthropology) Hope to see you there! [Wednesday 16th of May 2012, 5-7pm. UCL Anthropology Department, 14 Taviton St, London WC1H 0BW. Daryll Forde Seminar Room] Download the flyer of the event below!

Conference: The Diasporic Family in Cinema: SOAS (University of London) 21 May 2011

Very interesting upcoming conference at SOAS, (University of London) the 21th of May 2011.

I have already registered. I am very much looking forward to listening to the very interesting papers and to joining the screening of 'When we Leave' by Feo Aladag who will be present for a discussion afterward.

All details about the programme, the venue and the registration are available here

Film "Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a Piazza Vittorio"

The 14th of May in Italy the film "Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a Piazza Vittorio" will be released.
The film is a free adaptation of the novel by Amara Lakhous (that has the same title). The novel has been a best seller in Italy. It has been published 14 times so far and translated in German, Dutch, English and French. To know more about the novel you can read these interviews with the author:

Suzanne Ruta, ‘Humor is an instrument of combat: a conversation with Amara Lakhous’

Suzanne Ruta, ‘Scheherazade, C’est Moi? An Interview with Amara Lakhous’

Airos Soria Letizia, “Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio. Interview with Amara Lakhous”.


To know more about the author clik here.

The film director is Isotta Toso. To know more about the film and see the trailer clik here.

***PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG ABOUT THIS FILM ADAPTATION IF AND WHEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT. I ADVICE ALL TO READ THE NOVEL. IT IS AN INTERESTING GAZE ON ITALIAN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY TODAY SEEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN ALGERIAN. NOTHING BETTER THAN THAT! THANKS AMARA!***

UCL Global Migration Symposia Series

7 June 2010

Mitko Panov (filmmaker)
Film screening “The War is Over” (2009) and conversation with director Mitko Panov

Followed by a Q&A with director Mitko Panov, script consultant Gareth Jones and film critic Nevena Dakovic.

The event is co-hosted by the UCL Mellon Programme and the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies.

Time: 7-10.30pm
Venue: The Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, London W2 1QJ

About the event: This film by award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Mitko Panov is a fictionalised account of a family exiled to Switzerland during the Kosovo crisis. It is an intimate narrative that explores the experience of forced migration: the fraught decision to leave; the process of integration and adaptation to a new country; the impact on the family; and always, the yearning for homeland. Join us at the Frontline Club, a media club and venue championing independent journalism, for the screening, a panel discussion and a Q&A with Panov, film professionals and critics.

About the director: Mitko Panov was born in Macedonia and now lives and works in Switzerland. He studied Directing at the Polish National School for Film, TV and Theatre in Lodz. He has received a number of international awards for his films including the 1991 Cannes Golden Palm for best short for his reconstruction of the Warsaw ghetto in WITH RAISED HANDS, a special jury award at the Clermont Ferrand film festival 2000, and a Best Balkan Film Award at the Drama Short-Film Festival in Greece. Panov has taught at the New York University Graduate Film Department, the German State School for Film and TV in Munich, and the University of Texas at Austin-RTF. He is a founding member of the New York Film Academy, and Rockefeller, Guggenheim and Sundance Institute Fellow. The War is Over is his feature fiction debut.

Book your place: A limited number of free tickets are available for UCL students and staff. Please email intercultural-interaction@ucl.ac.uk for details. Public booking (£8 early birds, £10 standard) commences in May from The Frontline Club.

Corazones de Mujer: Screening and Interview with Director and Actress, UCL 13 March 2009

The presentation went very well! There were many people and Davide Sordella gave very interesting answers to the many questions of the audience!
The interview will be available in a future editorial project that will include also the interviews with the other directors who have been involved in the project "Perfoming Gender".

Unfortunately the actress Ghizlane Waldi couldn't come.

The DVD of "Corazones de Mujer" will be available to buy this month.


****************************************************************************************


UCL Mellon Programme: Performing Gender, Transpositions and Translations of Identities presents:

13 March 2009, 6pm

A screening of "Corazones de mujer" | A film by “Kiff Kosoof” (Pablo
Benedetti and Davide Sordella) with Ghizlane Waldi and Aziz Ahmeri (with English sub-titles).

Introduced by Dr Federica Mazzara.
***This screening will be followed by a discussion with one of the directors, Davide Sordella, and the lead actress, Ghizlane Waldi***

All are welcome | Admission is free

Venue: Malet Place Engineering Building, Room 1.03, UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1 (campus maps)

Full details of this series. Download the series poster (PDF format). Full details of the event.


Synopsis:
Once upon a time there was a transvestite tailor who made the best Arab clothing in the entire city: his name was Shakira (Aziz Ahmeri) and he wa to make the wedding gown for a young woman who was soon to be married: Zina (Ghizlane Waldi). The problem was that Zina had already lost her virginity and this is forbidden in the Arab world. In order to return to “kilometer zero,” the two decide to drive an old Alfa Romeo sports car from Torino all the way to Morocco and… this is the beginning of a voyage that will save her life.

Directors' Biographies:
DAVIDE SORDELLA: Studied in London at the London International Film School, directed by Mike Leigh. From 1996 to 2000 he worked in Latin America for various international agencies and organizations directing documentaries. From 2000 to 2002 he directed numerous shorts in various countries (UK, Israel, Nepal, etc.). His first feature film, “Fratelli di Sangue,” was presented at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. “Corazones de Mujer” is his second film. He is now working in Japan on his third film, “Sleeping Doll,” an international co-production.

PABLO BENEDETTI: He studied at the London International Film School, directed by Mike Leigh, where he developed skills in the art of film making, and specialized in directing. In 2003 he began an intense experience with Lindsay Kemp. In 2004, during a long tour in Spain and Italy he made Gota Roja, a portrait of this extraordinary artist. The next year, 2005, he directed Bluemist, about the competitive apnea world champion, Gianluca Genoni. He then began collaborating with his former classmate, Davide Sordella, making the film Corazones de Mujer.

ITALIAN CINEMA OF MIGRATION January-March 2009

A new film screenings series I have organized on Italian migration - both out of Italy and into Italy - will start in January 2009 and it will run till March 2009.
The purpose is to show how the depiction of migrants has changed (?) in Italian cinema and how stereotypes and prejudies towards the "other" has been represented by Italian film-makers or foreign film-makers who have produced "Italian" films. I will introduce every film. Each screening will be followed by a discussion.
You can find all details about venue, time and films to be screened by clicking the poster above. All films have English subtitles.
Looking forward to seeing you there!

ROCCO E I SUOI FRATELLI. Saturday 31 May 2008, 2pm

Rocco e i Suoi Fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers: in Italian with English subtitles) closes the first part of the film series Migrations, Emigrations, Immigrations: Italy Between Past Memories and Contemporary Realitiesand. The film stars Alain Delon in this powerful portrayal of an Italian mother and her five sons that migrate from the South of Italy to the North in search of a better life.

Tickets (£3) available to purchase on-line (guarantees a seat) and at the door on the day. Reservations recommended!
For contact and info: Dr Lanfranco Aceti (L.Aceti@bbk.ac.uk) Even Curator: John Francescutti.
Venue: The Birkbeck Cinema, Birkbeck College, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD.

PANE E CIOCCOLATA. Saturday 17 May 2008, 2pm

Pane e Cioccolata (Bread and Chocolate: in Italian with English subtitles) is the tragicomic story of an Italian emigrant in Switzerland that lives in a chicken coop. This is the second screening of the new Film Series on Migration, titled Migrations, Emigrations, Immigrations: Italy Between Past Memories and Contemporary Realities organized by Dr Landranco Aceti with the participation of Dr Federica Mazzara (UCL Mellon Programme).

Tickets (£3) available to purchase on-line (guarantees a seat) and at the door on the day. Reservations recommended!
For contact and info: Dr Lanfranco Aceti (L.Aceti@bbk.ac.uk) Even Curator: John Francescutti.
Venue: The Birkbeck Cinema, Birkbeck College, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD.

NUOVOMONDO. Saturday 10 May 2008, 2pm

Nuovomondo, the story of an Italian family emigrating to the United States of America begins the new Italian film screenings on Italian migration titled Migrations, Emigrations, Immigrations: Italy Between Past Memories and Contemporary Realities.
Tickets (£3) available to purchase on-line (guarantees a seat) and at the door on the day.
Further information: L.Aceti@bbk.ac.uk. Event curator John Francescutti.
Venue: The Birkbeck Cinema, Birkbeck College, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD.

FILM CLUB ON ITALIAN MIGRATION

Hi everybody,
I have been recently involved in a new Italian Film Screening Series organized by Dr Lanfranco Aceti (Birckbek College) and entitled Migration, Emigration, Immigration. Italy Between Past memories and Contemporary Realities.
My partecipation in that is related to my interest on the topic of Italian migration. The film series revolves in fact on the issues of Italian Migration, Emigration, Immigration.
The first three screenings have been planned: "Nuovomondo" (Saturday 10 May), "Pane e Cioccolata" (Saturday 17 May) and "Rocco e i suoi fratelli" (Saturday 31 May). English subtitles are provided. The screenings start at 2pm. and they take place at the beautiful Birkbeck Cinema, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD.
Tickets (£3) available to purchase on-line (guarantees a seat) and at the door on the day.
For contact and info: Dr Lanfranco Aceti (L.Aceti@bbk.ac.uk). Event curator: John Francescutti.

This programme is in collaboration with and supported by the ICI - Italian Cultural Institute and the London Centre for Arts and Cultural Enterprise.