“It Will Be Chaos”: Stories of Human Strength and Resilience

Giada Gramanzini (June 09, 2018)
"An epic, yet intimate portrait of lives in transit and the human consequences of the refugee crisis spanning the Mediterranean. It Will Be Chaos unfolds between Italy and the Balkan corridor, focusing on two unforgettable refugee stories of human strength and resilience in search of a better and safer future." In conjunction with World Refugee Day on June 20, the documentary film directed by Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo is going to debut Monday, JUNE 18 (8:00–9:35 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO

Once again another boat, other migrants, other reports of people who lost their lives during the umpteenth journey of hope. Once again other children involved. It was not the first, but it was one of the most serious immigration tragedies of modern history in the Mediterranean Sea. And everyone remembers it. 

The tragedy of Lampedusa

On October 3, 2013 a boat carrying migrants from Libya to Italy sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa. The boat had sailed from Misrata, but many people on board were originally from Eritrea: 360 victims in search of a better and safer future, far from their country, which is today one of the most absurd dictatorships in the world, with a population forced to serve in the military. 

It Will Be...a successful debut!

In conjunction with World Refugee Day on June 20, the documentary film It Will Be Chaos, directed by New York based filmmakers Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo, is going to debut Monday, JUNE 18 (8:00–9:35 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO. In May 2018, it was premiered at the Seattle Film Festival and has been selected for the annual Filmmaker Summit at the Berkshire International Film Festival.

The plot

It Will Be Chaos narrates all the troubles refugees have to deal with while escaping terror and war at home and after reaching the shores of Europe. It is set between Italy and the Balkan corridor, focusing on two unforgettable stories of brave asylum seekers: On the one hand Aregai, an Eritrean man who survived that terrible shipwreck on October 3, 2013; on the other hand the Syrian refugee Wael Orfahli, who caught up with his family in Turkey two years later to start all together their journey to Germany. Simultaneously, the documentary faces the Italian political situation that had to cope with a massive influx of newcomers, besides the local inhabitants' worries about immigration issues.

Today, Aregai lives in Sweden where he works as a cook in a refugee center. Every October 3, he returns to Lampedusa to honor fellow migrants who perished at sea. In Germany, the Orfahlis have also been granted asylum. Even though he misses Syria, Wael says: “We had a good life. Now it’s the kids’ turn.”

Together in life and at work

“Without HBO, this film would not have been as it is. And I have to say that our ambitious and initial vision were very difficult and challenging. HBO enhanced the whole project letting our inspiration and creativity fly”. With these words, New York based documentary filmmaker Lorena Luciano thanked the American television network at It Will be Chaos première last June 6 for supporting her and Filippo, her husband, from the very beginning.

“I really want to thank all the wonderful team we worked with, especially for editing, post production and translation of the dialogues – said Piscopo - Even without the crew from Europe and Eritrea this documentary would not have been possible. But first of all, thanks to HBO for making this happen”.

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Monday, JUNE 18 (8:00–9:35 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO

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