Jonas Carpignano

In the Guerrasio family Chiara, her sisters and their parents maintain a harmonious relationship. The family, relatives and friends throw a lavish party for the oldest sister's 18th birthday, but when Chiara sees her father, Claudio, and her cousins leave the party abruptly in a black car, the 15-year-old becomes suspicious. When he is still not home the next morning and she gets no answers to her questions, the bright teenager begins her own investigation. Her search takes her into the dark underbelly of the Calabrian mafia where she faces a momentous decision that will decide her own future. A film told in captivating, nocturnal images by director Jonas Carpignano.

Pio is growing up in a coastal town in southern Italy amongst the badly respected Romany community which he is part of, local Italians and African refugees. When his father and brother are arrested, the 14-year-old finds himself in search of a new role model. Although Ayiva, a migrant from Burkina Faso, does not exactly conform to the racist views of Pio’s family, they soon become best friends, and Pio finds a new identification figure in him. Two years after his refugee drama MEDITERRANEA, Jonas Carpignano takes us back to his real-life home of Gioia Tauro where he captures how peripheral groups fight their ground with his skilfully animated camerawork and documentary precision. A CIAMBRA is a charming portrait of one of many Italian youths.

Two men make the dangerous journey from Africa to Italy for a better life, but then face hostility and violence in this shocking look at the life-and-death struggle of refugees.