MEDITERRANEA EXPLAINS WHAT AFRICANS MUST ENDURE TO CROSS TO ITALY
Directed by Jonas Carpignano, Mediterranea begins in Burkina Faso. Several men have decided to go to Europe for economic reasons. The focus is on Ayiva (played by Koudous Seihon) and his son Abas (Alassane Sy), who have paid for passage but do not know what curve balls will be thrown at them. First they must get a ride to Algeria, endure a heist midway on the trip to Libya (though the actual filming is in Morocco). When they reach the shore, a motorboat is provided but without a driver. A storm hits, capsizing the boat, and they are rescued by an Italian coast guard vessel. They look up Ayiva’s uncle Ousman (Ousman Yabre) in Rosarno, Italy, who shows them temporary shelter, and they have to look for a job to survive. They are soon picking oranges, and Ayiva unloads them into a packing machine. Their employer, Rocco (Davide Schipilliti), has much sympathy for their plight because his grandfather related a similar experience in migrating to America. When the crop is fully picked, townspeople want them out, so they are evicted from their shelter, and two are even killed. The Africans riot, and they end up in jail awhile. By this time Ayiva is homesick, but that is not the end of the story. Only entertainment cheers up the Africans. The film is based on a true story, including the riots of 2010 when about a thousand were evacuated from the town, located in the boot of Italy, so the Political Film Society has nominated Mediterranea as best film exposé of 2015. MH