'The Last Island', the film about the Lampedusans heroes in the shipwreck of October 3
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Solidarity, freedom, justice, peace, going beyond geographical barriers. The courage to overcome even presumed "protocols", following the supreme rule: helping the other in difficulty, exhausted after a desperate journey.
“The Last Island” is the documentary film about the most terrible tragedy in the Mediterranean of our days, in the waters of Lampedusa. An event that shocked Italy and Europe (368 deaths). No show of suffering, but a powerful example of concrete love and hope. The film enjoys, in fact, the patronage of Amnesty International.
The Last Island, the documentary film about eight accidental heroes
An extraordinary story, with ordinary people who became “heroes by chance” during what is considered the worst disaster in the Mediterranean since World War II. Eight friends, inhabitants of Lampedusa, go out at midnight for a night trip on the Gamar, the wooden boat restored by Vito. They decide to sleep at sea and then wake up at dawn and go “trawling” for tuna.
They reach the “Tabaccara” area, an enchanting place with water so clear that you can see the bottom from several meters high. They fall asleep. But dawn surprises them in an unimaginable way: suddenly they find themselves surrounded by strange floating shapes, round and black. Are they buoys?
And those faint voices in the dark, are they seagulls? No, they are African migrants.
47 castaways on a small boat
That moonless night, Vito, Grazia, Sharani, Carmine and Rosaria, Alessandro, Linda and Marcello save 47 of them, pulling them up in the boat which is only 9 metres long.
“The Last Island” won the audience award at Biografilm Festival 2024, an important international competition and was awarded during the RIDF, the Rome Independent Documentary Festival.
The students of Roma Tre University awarded him the Best Doc DAMS Jury, award given by the students of the Department of Arts, Music and Entertainment. During the Fipadoc of Biarritz, one of the major international documentary festivals in France, has received great acclaim from the public and industry professionals.
A film lesson
«An important report that challenges the rules, while still managing to never turn off attention. It is not only a film on the theme of migration, but it is also a lesson in cinema». This is how a critic of the calibre of Giancarlo Zappoli defined it.
In addition to Biografilm 2024, “L'ultima isola” was highly appreciated in 13 other international events and competitions. High appreciation also for the photography, directed by Emanuele Pasquet, and the editing curated by Jacopo Reale. Two professionals with great experience, with many important works under their belt.
History of that dramatic story is intertwined with a visceral friendship that has forever united the protagonists of that night, and who managed to save 47 people on a small nine-meter boat.
Six years of research
«This documentary It was born from six years of research and filming alongside this group of friends who lived such an exceptional experience.
What came out of it is not a film about immigration, or rather not only. It is a film about overcoming pain and transforming it into something else, andexpresses a collective rebirth», says director Davide Lomma.
'The Last Island' in theaters
The documentary film “The Last Island” It was also awarded as “Best Documentary” at the Berlin Indie Film Festival and received the “Mario Paciolla” Award at the Human Rights Film Festival in Naples. The film was recognized by the Ministry of Culture as an arthouse film, or as a quality research and experimental film, with particular cultural and artistic merit.
The February 3 2025 at the documentary film is screened at Pop Up Cinema Arlecchino of Bologna, in the presence of the director. On February 20th it will be at the Cinema Beltrade in Milan. And then in dozens of other Italian theaters.
Copywriter, journalist and lay missionary in the South of the world. He was co-founder and editor-in-chief of the six free press Il Caffè titles - Rome, Latina and provinces - and of the national magazine Acqua&Sapone.
