The students of Regina Margherita in Palermo become directors, today the presentation of the documentary – BlogSicilia

The theme is herertiere of Ballarò, the economy, the faces, the society. The kids become directors, screenwriters. The screening of the documentary “Technical tests for an occupation” directed by Giovanni Totaro and photography by Antonino Costa will be held today at 4.30 pm in the main hall of the “Regina Margherita” teaching institute in Palermo. It is the final work of the “Ballarò ’23” project created as part of the National Cinema and Images Plan for Schools promoted by the Ministries of Culture, Education and Merit. The first event will see the participation of Giuseppe Pierro, general director of the regional school office who will meet the students and teaching staff of the school institution.

“In that area of ​​the historic center of the city of Palermo which can be configured as a “suburb in the centre” – says the school director Domenico Di Fatta – in an area where new potential coexists with a widespread culture of illegality, through dialogues between the children protagonists of “Technical tests for an occupation” aimed at safeguarding the Cascino complex, we witness the awareness of their own inner growth and the birth of a widespread civic sense aimed at participation and change”.

“The boys of the institute – underlines the scientific director of the project Luciano Accomando – after having participated in some masterclasses and at the Salina doc Fest, attempted an action-research project which led them to the production of a documentary. The project offered students transversal skills and a professional approach to the cinema professions.” An all-round cinematic experience that involved the students of the “Regina Margherita” Masters Institute in Palermo and the independent production company Centro Studi Pianosequenza.

“Through the choice of an urgent theme for the students, namely the structural fate of their school – underlines the director Giovanni Totaro – the documentary managed to go beyond the boundaries of the cinematographic laboratory by engaging with the present feelings of the children. In fact, the work left the participants with an awareness of the ability to intervene on the reality that surrounds them. As students, they are an active part of the school system and at the same time as citizens, they maintain a critical and civic sense about the city they live in.”

The students, supported by cinema professionals, oversaw all phases of the film process, from drafting the story to composing the soundtracks. “A fantastic experience – comments the director of general administrative services Elvira Sciurba – which, in the concerted involvement of all the addresses and all the groups, allowed the students, through the cinematographic language, to be able to make use of the skills acquired on school desks, and convey them towards conscious reflection in civil society and above all in the sense of union and communion of feelings typical of human beings. First of all, friendship and the sense of living together.

The project was a pretext to celebrate the meeting with the Ballarò district. “I spent much of the summer of 2023 participating in the making of the film ‘Technical tests for an occupation’ – underlines the student and actress Sofia Arini – Initially I thought that I would only have to write the screenplay, but apparently it’s true when they say that life can bring wonderful surprises: in fact I found myself acting in the film. It was the first time I acted for the big screen and, if I’m honest, it was very hard to do. But I didn’t lose heart and put all of myself into doing the best I could. Many months have passed since that summer, it makes me laugh to think of all this: of the moments of tension, of sadness, of anger but above all of happiness with my companions, who today I can define as friends”.

“Participating in the project – concludes Ilenia Bonfardeci, student and actress – was a very strange experience, in a positive sense, and different from what I expected, perhaps because I had no idea how a documentary was filmed. It was a journey into my fragilities, and I didn’t expect this. I often felt uncomfortable, but sometimes laughter eased the tension, and luckily they were always there. My friendships and acquaintances have also expanded a lot, I have met many people, many other small worlds and often had the opportunity to feel understood, or sometimes downright misunderstood, a paradox I know, but overall perhaps also positive. The behind the scenes stuff is amazing, and even more so being part of it working with professionals.”

Place: Regina Margherita High School

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