Winner Jury Prize – Venice Film Festival 2011

Filmed off the coast of Sicily and written/directed by Emanuele Crialese, this movie tells a passionate, timely and beautiful story about the human bond. Refugees are fleeing countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea (Africa; Tunisia, Algeria, Libya…). Sicily and its small islands are the closest point of land (Terraferma). Men, women and children hoping for a safe asylum, are fleeing in desperation, escaping war and terrors we can only imagine. They come on boats that are crowded and unsafe, they swim for dear life. This small, charming Sicilian island, Linosa, where the movie takes place has a simple fishing village where fishing has provided the source of income for centuries. Tourism is just becoming a new source of income for the islanders and promises a better standard of living for them. Half dead refugees crawling up the beach is not part of that picture.

They villagers are torn between laws that forbid them to help the refugees and their humanity, which drives them to do so. They will suffer severe consequences for assisting the refugees including the loss of their fishing boats, and livelihoods. The film focuses on one Sicilian family here. There is the stubborn old man, Ernesto (Mimmo Cuticchio) who has been a fisherman all his life; his daughter-in-law, Guilia(Donatella Finocchiaro) whose husband was lost at sea and who yearns to leave the island; her handsome, young son Filippo (Filippo Pucillo) and the middle son (Giuseppe Fiorello), who is business savvy and intent on capitalizing on the new tourist industry. The story begins with the old fisherman rescuing some refugees from the sea and hides a boy and his pregnant Ethiopian mother (Timnit T.) in his house. The mother gives birth in the garage and the whole family now becomes even more tightly bound to the refugees and their human tragedy.

This vibrant cast under the skillful direction of Crialese, play out a story that is engaging, entertaining and thoroughly thought provoking. The cinematography is expertly executed with the island, the sea, the water, sky and volcanic shore playing a vibrant role in the story. A winner at the Venice Film Festival and a favourite at the ICFF, Toronto Canada – put this on your viewing list.

Moira Romano

http://www.icff.ca/portfolio/terraferma/