Biografilm’s fourth day reaffirms one of the festival’s deepest callings: telling the story of the world through people’s lives. Today’s programme weaves together stories of civil resistance, memory and identity, bringing to the screen the mobilisation of an entire Glasgow neighbourhood against British immigration policies, the struggle of a Palermo community against gentrification, and the courageous activism of an Iraqi woman fighting for women’s rights. Alongside these collective battles, the programme also makes room for intimate and universal stories: the bond between a son and his father living with Alzheimer’s, the strength of the Simoncelli family in transforming grief into solidarity, and the emotional journey through family roots imagined by Carla Simón.
Among today’s special events, the World Premiere of Super Sic 58 (7:00 PM, Biografilm Hera Theatre | Pop Up Cinema Arlecchino) stands out. Dedicated to the human and sporting legacy of Marco Simoncelli, the documentary not only retraces the career of one of the most beloved riders in motorcycle racing, but also explores the solidarity projects that emerged after his death thanks to the commitment of his family. Also at Pop Up Cinema Arlecchino, at 9:00 PM, comes Romería – Il mare dei ricordi, the new film by Golden Bear-winning director Carla Simón: a delicate and powerful story in which a young woman returns to Galicia to reconstruct her parents’ past and confront the silences that run through families. At Cinema Modernissimo, at 9:00 PM, the World Premiere of Just Look Up follows climate activist Michael Greenberg, founder of Climate Defiance, as he combines non-violent protest with the mobilisation of a new generation. At 9:15 PM at Cinema Lumière, the European Premiere of Storie per Sandro offers one of the day’s most moving stories: through filmmaking, Giacomo tries to hold on to the memories of his father Sandro as Alzheimer’s slowly takes them away. The result is a deeply tender act of love, transforming memory into images and preserving shared time.
The programme continues at 6:00 PM at Cinema Lumière with Everybody to Kenmure Street, a powerful account of the extraordinary mobilisation that saw hundreds of Glasgow residents unite in 2021 to prevent the deportation of two neighbours, turning an ordinary street into a symbol of solidarity and civil resistance. At 7:00 PM, again at Cinema Lumière, Ampio appartamento in Palazzo di pregio takes us into the heart of Palermo, inside a building inhabited by artists, students and faded aristocrats, becoming the portrait of a city suspended between memory and transformation. At 9:30 PM, the International Competition presents the International Premiere of Burning Voice, a debut feature dedicated to Tamara, founder of the Iraqi Women’s Rights platform, who has spent years fighting gender-based violence and institutional discrimination while trying to build a new life for herself and her son. Closing the day is Spirit Animal (Chiostro del Complesso di Santa Cristina “della Fondazza”, wine tasting from 8:00 PM in collaboration with FIVI), a World Premiere observing Mongolia’s nomadic communities as they confront climate change and globalisation, in a sensitive exploration of the relationship between tradition, nature and the future.
