54 minutes, 2017
Directors: Laura Auriole (France) and Annalisa Lendaro (Italy)
Production : CNRS Images (France)

Lampedusa: a rock in the Mediterranean. Surface area:20 km². One of Europe’s borders.
An Italian island now infamous as the destination for thousands of migrants fleeing wars and misery, men and women risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean.
For some the crucial border into Europe, but for others heaven-on-sea: turquoise waters, paradisical landscapes, easy-going culture all make it a popular tourist destination.
Between these apparently watertight worlds, which barely touch each other, ordinary life on the island goes on.
In this film, the inhabitants and its visitors breathe confidences or show off, reveal themselves or mask their feelings. Indirectly or frankly, they show the viewer insights about Lampedusa from within, its many contrasts and ambiguities. Shipwrecks and holding camps on one side, the dolce vita and traditional fishing on the other.
Journey to the heart of a militarized and beautiful island, actor and spectator in one of our century’s tragedies.

Laura AURIOLE was born in 1981. She graduated in anthropology (African Studies) and German Letters from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. She first worked in journalism in Europe and Africa, before specializing in making documentary films, principally at Bordeaux University. Today, her approach as a writer and director of documentaries lies somewhere between social sciences, art and culture. In 2012 she made her graduation film “Mémoires”, about Bordeaux’ past as a slave city. “Benvenuti” is her first feature-length documentary.

Annalisa LENDARO is a researcher in political sociology at the CNRS. In particular, she works on migration and borders. In the light of the current political and migratory situation, she has turned towards educating people so as to de-compartmentalize scientific research in order to allow debate within and beyond the University precincts. Her CV consists mainly of publications and papers given at conferences and workshops. “Benvenuti” is her first documentary film.