somewhere else

video in colour and b-w, stereo, 5’41’’

© 2005 Bologna/Italy

In Bologna there is a “temporary” immigration reception centre, where I have participated together with a student group at the realization of the short film “No go areas”. The Moroccan, Tunisian and Chinese habitants have participated at the project and shooting in a generous, fighting and hopeful way, but at the end I could not stop thinking of what we have not said. Hence, was born the idea of making the video “Somewhere else” for showing what have touched me most, which is not a story to tell, but a fact, quite known in Bologna.

It deals about the tobacco fabric, which is situated very close to the immigration reception centre and is active. Its poison attacks especially the youngest, already after three months half of the habitants show first symptoms of asthma. The Italians, who lived there before, were sent away exactly for this motive. However, instead of arrived strangers, mostly families from North Africa, who do not stay there temporary at all, because some of them live there since more than 15 years. It is still hard to rent an apartment when you are not an European Union-citizen.

A demonstration about strangers’ rights in the year 2002 becomes the reason for talking about it.