Mediterranea
Fall Grant 2014 - Post-Production Stage
Jonas Carpignano / Feature Narrative / Italy, France, Germany, Qatar / 2015 / 110 min / Colour / Original Language: Arabic, English, French, Italian / Interests: Drama
Synopsis
As ‘Mediterranea’ opens in Algeria, Ayiva and his friend Abas climb onto a truck packed to bursting with migrants and their belongings, bound for the coast of Libya. The friends have travelled this far from Burkina Faso; their hoped-for destination: Europe. The path to the shores of of a better life is an arduous one, strewn with violence, bandits and the stormy perils of sea travel. Eventually, the pair arrive in Italy, where immigration authorities allow them three months to find contracted work so they can apply for residence permits.
The promised land, however, is not as glorious and welcoming as Ayiva and Abas might have hoped. While they fall into friendly camaraderie with the migrant community, work is harsh, money is scarce and the goal of a settled life seems perpetually out of reach. As tension begins to build with the locals, things eventually come to a head and dreams of the future begin to look more like nightmares.
With ‘Mediterraneaa’, director Jonas Carpignano builds a fast-paced, relentless journey through the experiences of those from Africa who strive to make a place for themselves in the “stability” of Europe. Given the horrifying migration situation the world is facing today, the film acts as an urgent call to treat migrants and refugees with dignity, respect and compassion.
Credits
- Director
- Jonas Carpignano
- Screenwriter
- Jonas Carpignano
- Producer
- Jon Coplon
- Production Company
- DCM Productions
About the Director
Jonas Carpignano has spent his life between Italy and the USA and currently lives in Gioia Tauro, Italy. His work has been shown at prestigious film festivals around the world including Cannes, Venice, SXSW and the New York Film Festival. His short film ‘A Chjàna’ won the Controcampo Award for Best Short Film in Venice, and was awarded a Nastro D’Argento Special Mention from the Association of Italian Film Critics. Carpignano is an alumnus of the 2012 Sundance Writers & Directors Lab, and a recipient of the Mahindra/Sundance GFA Award. ‘Mediterranea’ (2015), his first feature-length film, had its premiere in the Critics' Week at the Festival de Cannes.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
Cannes Film Festival 2015, Critics' Week (WP)
Melbourne International Film Festival 2015
BFI London Fim Festival 2015
AFI Fest 2015
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2015, Another View
Nominated for Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay and Best Male Lead nominations, Independent Spirit Awards 2015
Cairo International Film Festival, Best Film and Best Actor (Koudous Seihon)
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award, Gotham Awards