Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Italian Consulate General screened a strong humanitarian movie that highlighted the suffering of modern-day refugees at the Italian Cultural Center here on Sunday.

The Italian film was screened as part of the 12th European Film Festival, with the support of the delegation of the European Union in Saudi Arabia.

The screened movie was “Fuocoammare” — Fire at Sea. It was the winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival in 2016.

The movie tells the horrific stories and the humanitarian crisis of African and Middle Eastern refugees hoping to start a new life in Europe. The story unfolds in the Mediterranean Sea around Lampedusa island with the film capturing the mood with realistic videography, showcasing many sad real-life catastrophes.

Italian Consul General Elisabetta Martini said: “This movie night comes under the framework of the European Film Festival and also under the initiative by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It showcases the cultures and the Mediterranean Sea to raise awareness about what is happening around the Mediterranean Sea, about both the migrant tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea but also about the opportunities. So we are going to conduct events about Mediterranean food and UNESCO sites in the Mediterranean area.”

Martini added: “Cinema is about entertainment and also about delivering a social message. So I think cinema is important, most of all as a cultural tool to shape the cultural environment.”

The European Film Festival will continue until Feb. 25, showcasing a variety of European movies from Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Ireland, Hungary and Norway.

All the films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles, to increase cultural communication and showcasing European cultures and languages to the local audience.