An Uncertain Gaze, between Emancipation and Paternalism
by Pierandrea Villa
Overview
n.d.
n.d.
2017
94′
Pasquale Scimeca
Pasquale Scimeca
Arbash Società Cooperativa, Rai Cinema, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, and with the backing of the Sicily Film Commission
Duccio Cimatti
Francesca Bracci
Mario Rivera
David Koroma, Yabom Fatmata Kabia, Vincenzo Albanese, Raffaella Esposito
Arbash Distribuzione
Gallery
Poster
Trailer
Pressbook
Representation strategies, rhetorics and stereotypes
Narrative & characters
Amin and Isokè are two brothers living in a small village in Sierra Leone. When an armed militia attacks the village, kills their family, and sets fire to all houses, their surviving grandfather gives them instructions to embark on a journey to Sweden. Scimeca’s film is notable for its portrayal of the brothers’ journey as it largely excludes the viewpoint of white characters, thereby offering a narrative of diversity that does not rely on a diegetic mediator. The same approach of dismissing the external gaze is achieved through a direction that often forgoes narration in the strictest sense, opting instead for a documentary style and structure. Of course, a completely neutral gaze remains ultimately impossible here, too, as the processes of framing and editing inevitably impart a specific orientation to the images.
This shift towards a documentary style is particularly evident in the opening sequences of the film, which focus on everyday life in the protagonists’ home village, highlighting their gestures, activities, and routines. This segment, along with others throughout the film, is supported by a series of wide and medium shots that ease the pathos, giving more space to the context. In this sense, the film seems to seek a specific kind of relationship with the viewer, whose attention, especially from an emotional standpoint, is not constantly conducted. In this regard, it is noteworthy that even in the film’s less documentary-like sequences, close-ups are relatively rare, while extreme close-ups are almost entirely absent. The scenes depicting the protagonists’ imprisonment in Libya are exceptions, as they are better suited for fostering empathy with the characters: here they are drawn closer to the camera. The film’s documentary style is also emphasised by a series of writing choices, reflecting a deep understanding of the context depicted on screen, doubtless the result of much preliminary research. This is exemplified by the development of Hamida’s storyline during the segment focused on a Libyan prison. As a woman, Hamida faces not only imprisonment, but also repeated sexual assault by her jailer, ultimately leading her to suicide. The intersection of migrant and female identities is also highlighted in the contrast between Amin and Isokè, with only the latter being compelled to wear a burka throughout her imprisonment in Libya as a deterrent to avoid Hamida’s tragic fate. However, on a different level, the director’s detached approach to the narrative structure tends to deprive the two protagonists of any real agency or free will. Amin and Isokè are driven by events beyond their control, as passive and unwitting victims of the context that surrounds them. Moreover, the realistic and documentary approach described above falters in certain sequences, particularly during the siblings’ journey across the desert, which they undertake alone and without a guide. In this scene, the choice to isolate the protagonists in the vastness of the desert clearly responds to the need to heighten the emotional impact of the scene, sacrificing realism. This choice also serves to connect the scene with the encounter with the two Italian archaeologists, whose problematic nature will be explored later.
Another interesting motif in the film is the football: this simple and accessible narrative device allows the audience to empathise with Amin. At the same time, however, the connection to Italian and Western culture – symbolised by the Roma soccer shirt that Amin wears throughout most of the film – offers a subtle nod to the West’s role in migration. Indeed, the incorporation of these Western cultural elements into the Sierra Leonean context signals an interpretation of this phenomenon as a consequence of colonialist and neocolonialist dynamics. The ball is also a rhetorical device that separates the total benevolence of the only Italian characters in the film from the ruthless cruelty of the Libyan jailers – as the Italians give Amin a ball, while the Libyans take it away from him.
Stereotypes & strategies of inclusion
Italians are good people
A key sequence in the film is the encounter between the two protagonists, when they faint with exhaustion in the Sahara Desert, and two Italian scholars, probably archaeologists. These two characters, the only white Westerners in the film, perfectly embody the notion of the ‘white saviour’. They arrive as a fully-fledged deus ex machina in perfect time and in the exact right space (which is somewhat paradoxical given that this is a desert). From the moment they appear, they not only rescue the protagonists from starvation but also provide them with new clothes, food, money, and help to continue their journey, personally escorting them to the Libyan border.
Thus, the two Italians not only represent a division between two fundamental stages of the protagonists’ journey, they also become the essential narrative motor for its continuation. In this sense, the salvific and somewhat divine function of the two archaeologists act as an absolute counterbalance to the hints of neocolonialist responsibility outlined by the elements discussed above. Everything in the sequence dedicated to this encounter seems to characterise it in an entirely positive light, counterbalancing the delegitimisation of the Western gaze that characterizes the first part of the film. For instance, the alternating shot/reverse shots between the Italian woman and the two protagonists re-establish a paternalistic relationship that had been happily absent from the film so far. The music in the sequence, which is noticeably more cheerful than in previous scenes, also helps to provide a radiant tone, infusing the scene with a sense of peace, and renewed security. In this way, the sequence ‘blessed’ by the two Italian archaeologists stands as a fortunate watershed between two dramas: the desert and the Libyan prison. For this reason, the scene also forges a clear divide between the ‘purely’ good Italians and the ruthless cruelty of the Libyan jailers. At a symbolic level, this narrative mechanism could serve to completely absolve the Italians and, by analogy, Westerners from the tragedy of the protagonists. It is perhaps important to specify here out that the excess in representation does not necessarily lie in the cruelty of Libyan jailers, which is a proven and documented fact, but in the vast disparity created by portraying Italians with almost angelic qualities.
Conversations
The director presents the film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF, November 23, 2017).
Conversation with director Pasquale Scimeca and producer Linda Di Dio, hosted by Alessandro Rossetti at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Rome, organized by ANAC (July 20, 2019).
Director Pasquale Scimeca speaks after the screening of the film at the Cineclub Arsenale in Pisa (July 10, 2019).
The director introduces the film before the screening at the eighth edition of Notti Clandestine in Termini Imerese (TeleTermini, November 8, 2018).
The director discusses his film, highlighting the role of migration as a fundamental element of civilisation (Tramefestival, June 21, 2019).
The director introduces the two lead actors and shares his experiences in the Sierra Leone village where the film is set (Tv2000, November 30, 2017).
“Films to learn about migration”. In Cooperazione, November 13, 2018. Interview with Pasquale Scimeca by Gudrun De Chirico.
«My film stems from my experience of spending six months with a very small crew in the village of Rochai Mende, in the district of Lunsru in Sierra Leone. It was there, listening to the stories of the local children, that we found the raw material for our screenplay».
“With ‘Balon’, the great cinema of civil commitment returns”. In Gazzetta del Sud, November 11, 2018. Interview with Pasquale Scimeca by Marco Bonardelli.
«Actually, it is not a film about migration, but rather a work aimed at promoting greater understanding of Africa».
“Africa through the eyes of children. Scimeca’s latest work at the Film Festival”. In L’avvenire, December 1, 2017. Interview by Alessandra De Luca with Pasquale Scimeca.
«For years I have been visiting Missione Speranza e Carità di fratel Biagio in Palermo, which takes care of migrants. However this was no longer enough for me. I wanted to investigate the origin of the fear that grips us all when we are confronted with something different, with the other».
Business strategies and communication rhetorics
Strategies
The film was developed with the contribution of Mibact – Direzione Generale Cinema, the Sicilia Film Commission, and the Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment – Special Office for Cinema and Audiovisuals of the Sicily Region. The title was created as part of the Sensi Contemporanei Cinema programme.
The documentary style of the film is rooted in its production strategy. Before filming, Scimeca moved, with the entire crew, to the village where the story is set, living there for six months. This long period of observation allowed him to understand the habits and daily activities of the inhabitants, which were fundamental to constructing the story of Amin and Isokè. The arrival of the crew and contact with the local community were made possible by the support of the Giuseppini del Murialdo missionary friars. Even before leaving for Africa, however, Scimeca had already gathered the painful experiences of migrants through his volunteer work in Sicily, the final destination of the journey narrated in The Ball, with the volunteer organisation Missione Speranza e Carità di Fratel Biagio. The decision to shoot in a setting such as the village in Sierra Leone and forego the use of professional actors presented several challenges. Among these, Managing the equipment posed a significant challenge, particularly because the village lacked electricity, preventing camera batteries from being recharged. This absence of electricity further complicated David Koroma’s introduction to acting, as he had never watched a film before participating in the film as Amin.
Communication rhetorics
The Ball’s communication strategy focused on highlighting the film’s aim to raise awareness about migration and the situation in sub-Saharan Africa. In this regard, the director has repeatedly emphasized that his aim was not to create a story about migration, but rather about Africa and its relationship with the West. These intentions are clearly reflected in the press kit, which allocates much space to presenting the two lead actors as individuals rather than characters or performers. For instance, the section dedicated to David Koroma, who plays Amin, reads: «I am ten years old and live with my mother and five brothers in a village in Sierra Leone in the district of Lunsar. I like going to school because I learn things: reading, writing, arithmetic, and English as well. However, it is very tiring for me since I have to walk six kilometres every day».
The presentation of Abom Fatmata Kabia, who plays Isokè, reads: «I am fifteen years old and I go to school with the nuns of Guadalupe (even though my family is Muslim, but this is not a problem here in Sierra Leone). When I grow up, I want to become a nurse. Actually, to be honest, I would like to become a doctor».
This strategy is confirmed by the final document signed by the actress, an excerpt of which reads
«Open your eyes, brother
don’t be afraid
This was a bad dream.
But for me, who is 15 years old and live in Africa
Unfortunately, this is reality.
The reality I have to face every day.
Enjoy the film!»
From this perspective, the presence of the two actors at the Turin festival where the film premiered is, in a sense, functional as promotional elements for the film.
In line with this principle, the promotion of the film focused on targeted events, such as a screening at the Turin Cinema Museum sponsored by the Pianeta Africa association. In that context, all proceeds from ticket sales were donated in cooperation with ENGIM ONG and the Giuseppini del Murialdo friars to the children of the village of Rachain Mende, where the film is set. Additionally, screenings of the film at festivals dedicated to themes of migration or narratives about the African continent have effectively linked it to the awareness-raising issues central to its promotional strategy.
Conversations
Conversation with director Pasquale Scimeca and producer Linda Di Dio hosted by Alessandro Rossetti at the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Rome, organized by ANAC (October 10, 2018).
Circulation and audience responses
Circulation patterns
The Ball was distributed in Italy by Arbash Distribuzione and in Morocco by A2L Production Films, while international sales were handled by Coccinelle Film Sales.
The film was screened widely at national and international festivals (many of which across Africa), as well as at specific events attended by the director. This also includes special screenings such as those at the Notti clandestine (2018) event in Termini Imerese, one at the University of Palermo in the same year, and its more recent selection, in 2023, for the Giornate del Cinema per la Scuola (Cinema Days for Schools) event. The film also had a significant presence in thematic festivals dedicated to immigration and the African continent, such as the Festival di Cinema Africano and the Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Frontiera. As far as theatrical distribution is concerned, no official data are available, but the lack of a trailer with Italian subtitles is telling. However, when it comes to the post-theatrical market, the film has never been broadcast on Rai channels and is not available on RaiPlay. Thus, The Ball seamlessly aligns with a category of works that struggle to secure proper theatrical and television distribution in Italy, remaining confined to the festival circuit.
Notably, in 2019, over 100 middle and high school institutes adopted the film as a teaching tool for analyzing migration phenomena. This initiative led three institutes in Sicily to participate in a fundraiser dedicated to supporting villages in Sierra Leone.
Festival selection
- Giornate del Cinema per la Scuola Panorama 2023
- Trani Film Festival Panorama 2023
- Costa Iblea Film Festival Cinema e Sicilia 2021
- Italian Film Days Panorama 2019
- Trame. Festival di Libri sulle Mafie Trame di Cinema 2019
- Festival del Cinema Africano Tutto l’Anno Panorama 2019
- Sciacca Film Fest Spazio Arena 2018
- Aquerò lo Spirito del Cinema Panorama 2018
- Cape Town – Pretoria Italian Film Festival – Italian Film Focus in South Africa Panorama 2018
- Castellinaria Festival Internazionale del Cinema Giovane Bellinzona Concorso 6-15 2018
- Festival di Cinema Africano Festival tutto l’Anno 2018
- Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Frontiera Fuori Concorso 2018
- Alice nella Città Concorso Ciak Alice Giovani 2018
- Cape Town International Film Market & Festival Feature Film 2018
- Festival Sabir Panorama 2018
- Zanzibar International Film Festival Long Feature 2018
- Palma CineCaffe’ Palma CineCaffè “Lungo” 2018
- Il Cinema Italiano – Festival a Como Concorso 2018
- Vittoria Peace Film Fest Evento Speciale 2017
- Tallin Black Nights Film Festival International Competition 2017
- Torino Film Festival Festa Mobile 2017
Awards
2018, Castellinaria Festival Internazionale del Cinema Giovane Bellinzona (festival): Premio UNICEF
2017, Torino Film Festival (festival): Premio Gli Occhiali di Gandhi
Reception
The film attracted limited coverage within traditional commentary circuits. In any case, with few exceptions, critics generally commended Scimeca’s film for its civic commitment. The narrative’s subtlety and originality have also garnered praise, though some have noted an anachronistic ethnographic perspective, suggesting a history viewed and narrated from a Western standpoint. Concerning the film’s style, critics did not always appreciate the documentary approach, rather this has at times been accused of amateurism and of preventing the film from flowing smoothly. From the audience’s perspective, the lack of engagement mirrors that of critics, probably because of the scarce circulation of the movie outside of festivals: on IMDB, the film scores 7.6/10, but based on only ten votes, while on MyMovies, it scores 3.5/5, but with only two audience reviews. The situation is comparable on Letterbox, as the film has not received enough reviews to establish an average rating.
Italian and foreign press
Italian Press
Stefano Amadio, “‘Balon’: Africa, two children and a journey north”, Cinemaitaliano.info, November 30, 2017.
«Pasquale Scimeca’s ‘Balon’ is rich in intent and content but seems to lack the cinematic narrative force that would have made it a truly significant film».
Alessandra De Luca, “Africa through the eyes of children. Scimeca’s latest work at the Film Festival”, Avvenire, December 1, 2017.
«Scimeca tells us everything that the media cannot show since we know very little about what is happening in Africa. This is why the director went there, to discover the missing piece of the horrific odyssey experienced by thousands of refugees».
Alessandro Aniballi, “The exodus, a great exodus”, Quinlan, December 2, 2017.
«Perhaps it would have been appropriate, for example, to collaborate with an African writer for the film script, or perhaps more research should have been done. Instead, in Balon, everything goes as it should, according to the stereotype of fleeing populations».
Foreign Press
Vladan Petković, “The Ball: The unseen part of a refugee’s journey”, Cineuropa, November 27, 2017.
«It is a film that shows us the other side of the refugee theme: in both fiction and documentary films, we only see them after they arrive in Europe. The Ball shows us the rarely seen “first half” of their trip, and the reasons and factors that push them to embark on it».