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A Black Jesus

DE 2020, 92 min, Luca Lucchesi

In Siculiana, a small Sicilian town in the province of Agrigento, the statue of a black Jesus has been venerated for centuries. On May 3rd, the crucifix is carried on the shoulders of chosen devotees in procession through the crowded streets of the town. On this occasion, hundreds of Siculianesi emigrants return from every part of Italy and abroad to pay homage to their patron saint.

In 2014, Villa Sikania, a hotel on the verge of bankruptcy, was converted by the owners into a reception centre for asylum seekers. At the height of the migrant crisis the centre hosted up to 1000 guests – a third of the local population. However, few Siculianesi have ever exchanged a single word with them.

The Siculianesi, who have always been a population of emigrants, have to deal with an exodus of young people and therefore with the lack of a workforce. One possible answer to the town's problems could be the young migrants present at Villa Sikania: their willingness to undertake any honest work could revive the fate of Siculiana. But their status as asylum seekers makes it impossible for them to make short or long-term plans or to obtain employment contracts. Siculianesi and migrants remain divided, not speaking with each other out of fear, but also because the Italian government has not attempted to create a fruitful dialogue between these two different faces of poverty.

The drowsy stagnancy of Siculiana is stirred up by the arrival of Edward, a 19-year old migrant from Ghana. He is immediately fascinated by the figure of the black Jesus, who he discovers for the first time during the 2018 procession. Edward decides to challenge the indifference of the Siculianesi. He asks them for the greatest honour: to participate, together with his friends Peter and Samuel, as bearers of the black Jesus statue during the celebrations of May 3rd.

Dialogue and understanding finally seem possible. But how much power do individuals and communities really have, within a system designed to divide rather than unite?

The result of two years of immersive research within the community of Siculiana, A BLACK JESUS is a modern parable about the fragile path towards equality and brotherhood among all human beings.

 

festivals

UNAFF 2020, US | DOK Leipzig 2020, DE | This Human World FF 2020, AT | Efebo D'Oro 2020, IT | MIFF Awards 2020, IT | Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis 2021, DE | Bolzano Film Festival 2021, IT | Visions du Réel 2021, CH | Hot Docs 2021, CA | CPH:DOX 2021, DK | San Sebastian Human Rights FF 2021, ES | Doku Bazaar 2021, SI | Festival of Tolerance 2021, HR | Sole Luna Doc 2021, IT | Beyond Borders Int. Documentary Festival 2021, GR | Astra Film Festival 2021, RO | Docs Against Gravity 2021, PL | Festival Internazionale Cinema Di Frontiera 2021, IT | Doclisboa 2021, PT | Swidnica Film Festival 2021, PL | Sydney Film Festival 2021, AU | Calgary Justice Film Festival 2021, CA | Tenemos Que Ver 2021, UY | PriMed 2021, FR | Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival 2022, US | Foça International Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Documentary Film Days 2022, TR

awards

Premio Speciale Centro Ricerca Narrative e Cinema (Efebo D'Oro 2020) | Best Sound design and High school student ward - Best doc (Sole Luna Doc 2021) | Special Jury Prize (Beyond Borders Int. Documentary Festival 2021) | Audience Award (Swidnica Film Festival 2021) | Broadcasting Award RAI (PriMed 2021, FR)
 

pictures

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Presskit

QUEERFILMNACHT

Demnächst im Kino

Im APRIL 2025

LESVIA

ein Film von Tzeli Hadjidimitriou

Griechenland 2024, 77 Minuten, griechische OF mit dt. UT

„Lesvia“ erzählt sie von 40 Jahren lesbischer Gemeinschaft, Liebe und Konflikten auf der Insel Lesbos. 

Votivkino, Wien 14.4., 20.00
Volkskino Klagenfurt 22.4., 20:15
Leokino Innsbruck 28.4., 20.30

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NEWS

JETZT IM KINO:

ALARM 

Ein Film von Judith Zdesar  
 

FIXE VORSTELLUNGEN am 28. April in allen CINEPLEXXEN (siehe unten) 


PREMIEREN in Anwesenheit der Regisseurin: 

Freitag 2. Mai, Kino im Kesselhaus Krems 
Mittwoch 7. Mai, 19.30, Cinema Paradiso Baden
Freitag 9. Mai, Stadtkino Horn 

JETZT IN FOLGENDEN KINOS: 

WIEN: Village Cinema / Cineplexx Donauzentrum / Cineplexx Millenium City
Cineplexx Auhof / Cineplexx Wienerberg 

 

NÖ: Cineplexx Westfield SCS Vösendorf / Cineplexx Wiener Neustadt / Cineplexx Amstetten
Grand Movie Neunkirchen 
ab  2. Mai: Kino im Kesselhaus Krems 
6. Mai, 13. Mai und 30. Mai: Kino Mank 
ab 7. Mai: Cinema Paradiso Baden / Cinema Paradiso St. Pölten / Star Movie Tulln 
7.+ 8. Mai: Kino Retz
ab  9. Mai: Stadtkino Horn 
am 9. Mai: Kino Drosendorf 

: Moviemento Linz / Cineplexx Linz / Kino Freistadt /Dieselkino Braunau / Kinola Lambach /
ab 7. Mai: Star Movie Peuerbach / Star Movie Regau / Star Movie Ried / Star Movie Steyr / Star Movie Wels

 

STMK: Cineplexx Graz / Cineplexx Leoben / Cineplexx Weiz / Dieselkino Gleisdorf / Dieselkino Lieboch / Star Movie Liezen (ab 7. Mai) 
 

SLBG: Cineplexx Salzburg Airport / 20.+ 27. Mai: Stadtkino Hallein 
 

TIROL: Cineplexx Wörgl / Leokino Innsbruck / Cineplexx Innsbruck
 

BGL: Cineplexx Mattersburg / Cineplexx Parndorf 
 

KÄRNTEN: Cineplexx Villach / 23.+ 24. April:  Volkskino Klagenfurt

VORARLBERG: Cineplexx Hohenems / Kino Bludenz 

 

DEAR BEAUTIFUL BELOVED 

Ein Film von Juri Rechinsky 

Wien: 27. April, Topkino, 13.00  Film + Diskussion mit Regisseur Juri Rechinsky 

GemeindeKINOs schaffen KINOgemeinden

Erlebt echte Kinomomente bei euch im Ort!
Eine Vielzahl ausgewählter Filme findet Ihr auf  

www.gemeindekino.at oder
www.facebook.com/GemeindeKINO
 

ÖSTERREICHISCHER FILMPREIS 2025

DREI Nominierungen für DEAR BEAUTIFUL BELOVED
- Bester Dokumentarfilm 
- Beste Montage 
-Beste Tongestaltung 

 

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FESTIVALS

DEAR BEAUTIFUL BELOVED

Dokfilmwoche Hamburg 
Fr 24. April 21.15 
In Anwesenheit von Regisseur Juri Rechinsky und Editorin Andrea Wagner 

BLUM Masters of their own destiny

BOSNIAN-HERZEGOVINIAN FF NEW YORK
26th April, 5. pm 
 

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL, BERLIN 
7., 8. + 10. Mai 

BRUNAUPARK

Dokfilmwoche Hamburg 
27. April, 21.30 
in Anwesenheit von Regisseur Dominik Zietlow 

ANGRY SPIRITS

Ethnocineca Filmfestival 

11. Mai, 18.30 
In Anwesenheit von Regisseurin Iris Pakulla 

 

WHERE YOU MEET US IN PERSON

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