A Ciambra (OmU)

In the organizer's words:

14-year-old Pio lives in a small Roma settlement in Calabria in southern Italy. For him, growing up doesn't mean school and free time, but learning to survive: Getting cigarettes, stealing electricity, breaking into cars. He wants to follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a man as quickly as possible - which also means taking responsibility for the whole family. When his brother disappears, Pio has to prove whether he is really ready to take on the role of man of the house. Between loyalty, friendship and the harsh realities of poverty and exclusion, he searches for his own path.

Director Jonas Carpignano paints an intense, almost documentary-like portrait of a youth on the fringes of Europe. With non-professional actors from the Roma community and a camera that stays close to the characters' lives, an intense, unembellished atmosphere is created. A Ciambra is not a classic social drama, but a powerful film about identity, belonging and the longing for a different life.