THE ISLAND

How many times have we heard Lampedusa's name in connection with another boat sinking, tales of desperate journeys across the Mediterranean, descriptions of the pitiless conditions inside the island's reception centre? The deaths have been reported and politicians' visits photographed, but beyond that the reality of daily life on this narrow strip of land was rarely examined.
What do we know about the experiences of the islanders, who have seen desperate people arrive at their doorstep for decades, who have greeted waves of migrants with tolerance and compassion, all the while struggling to deal with economic and social problems of their own?
'The Island' was filmed in the aftermath of one of the worst disasters to occur in the Mediterranean. But its focus was broader - a look at everyday life on Lampedusa and how ordinary islanders - permanent and temporary, locals and migrants - coped with the extraordinary situation they found themselves in.

  • Simona Bua
    Director
  • Simona Bua
    Writer
  • Ruth Hetherington
    Writer
  • Ruth Hetherington
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    7,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    English, Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Simona Bua

Simona Bua is an Italian documentary filmmaker and journalist, born in Palermo, in 1984.
She has studied and worked in Rome, Barcelona, Milan, Luxembourg, New Delhi, Paris, Buenos Aires and New York.

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