Silky Waves of Friend's Sea (2019)

This film encompasses a desire to share a realistic, yet simultaneously metaphorical, story that allows us to discuss the relationship between the individual and cultural identity in a world where identity formation has become increasingly complex. With this intention, the film also portrays the multi-ethnic suburbs of Rome in present-day Italy, often regarded as the 'land of immigration,' due to its high population of immigrant residents. True events and stories regarding western immigration have driven us to address this issue in a dramatic, yet ironic, manner. The gradual acceptance of the need to allow asylum to 'political refugees' by the West, has also been accompanied by an increase in the demonization of all who wish to enter the West with hopes of improving their quality of life. Those who, nowadays, are labeled as 'bogus refugees' or 'illegal immigrants,' have not only become the target for short-sighted policies on immigration, but also, victims of deceitful human traffickers. Policies regulating immigration in the West, often based on points systems that evaluate the 'desirability' or 'usefulness' of those requesting transfer, are generally function only for the profit of the host country while these requirements may be entirely ignored for many immigrants whose countries of origin don't qualify as high-risk zones. The film, inspired by true events, allows us to address this delicate issue in a dramatic, yet humorous way.