The day after the successful screening at Shortwave Cinema in London, My Brother’s Voice (La voce di mio fratello) by 30 year -old Italian director Andrea Bersani wins at the UK FILM FESTIVAL.

After a marvellous opening night on Tuesday, November 22nd at BFI Stephens Street and the screening of three short-movie, from Wednesday, November 23rd the Festival showed the best of the independent cinema from all around the world.

From an exciting mix of music videos compete for the UKFF Best Music Video Award (Stig of the Dump – Kubrick by Mark Blackman (3mins, United Kingdom), Speech of Foxes by Ben Philippo (4mins, USA),  Private Waltz by Marina Waltz (5mins, United Kingdom), Kill it for the Kids by Christopher Ullens de Schooten (3mins, United Kingdom), Happy by Mitski by Maegan Houang (4mins, United Kingdom), Schoolboy Q ”John Muir” by Scott Fleishman (4mins, USA) to a selection of short-movies in the section Panaroma: Crackpot directed by Alex Bernas (3mins, United Kingdom), Stolpe Nord directed by Julia Tielke (15mins, Germany), My Brief Eternity: Ar Awyr Le directed by Clare Sturges (13mins, United Kingdom), Perched directed by Liam Harris (11mins, United Kingdom), The Road directed by Yanqi Chen (34mins, United Kingdom/China), Heart of the Land (Toivola) directed by Kaika Astikainen (30mins, Finland),  Pirouette directed by Zige Zhang (2mins, China, USA), Black Sheep directed by Christian Cerami (16mins, United Kingdom), Shell House directed by Artiom Barkun (10mins, United Kingdom) and Tamara directed by Sofia Safonova (17mins, United Kingdom, Russia).

Three categories for the short-movie in competition. The first one,  Unusual Love and Exploitation Stories, with seven titles:  When You Hear the Bells [Au bruit de clochettes] directed by Chabname Zariab (25mins, France/Afghanistan), Slave directed by Amat Escalante (13mins, Mexico), Daniel directed by Dean Loxton (15mins, United Kingdom), Small Talk directed by Even Hafnor and Lisa Brooke Hansen (21mins, Norway), The Body is a Lonely Place directed by Ida Lindgren (10mins, Sweden), The Idyll directed by Justin Anderson (12mins, United Kingdom) and Timecode directed by Juanjo Gimenez Pena (15mins. Spain).

The second one, Revenge and Forgiveness, with five titles: The Return of Erkin directed by Maria Guskova (30mins, Russia), 4:15PM: The End of the World [4:15 P.M. Sfarsitul Lumii] directed by Catalin Rotaru and Gabi Virginia Sarga (15mins, Romania), The Fuzz directed by Grant Alexander King (10mins, United Kingdom), Sweet Maddie Stone directed by Brady Hood (24mins, United Kingdom) and Mariana’s Sandwich directed by Carlos Cuaron (11mins, Mexico).

Thee third one, Families but not as we know them with six movies: Everything Will Be Okay [Alles Wird Gut] directed by Patrick Vollrath (30mins, Germany), Mother [Madre] directed by Simon Mesa Soto (14mins, Colombia), Imago directed by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez (16mins, Philippines), The Bathtub [Die Badewanne] directed by Tim Ellrich (13mins, Germany), Sunday Morning Coming Down directed by Harry Lighton (20mins, United Kingdom) and A Night in Tokoriki directed by Roxana Stroe (18mins, Romania).

In competition as Feature Film: The Gay Cure directed by Stina Norager Frandsen (Feature Film, Denmark), My Brother’s Voice directed by Andrea Bersani (Feature Film – 72mins, Italy) and Nocturne directed by Luis Ayhllon (Feature, 88 mins, Mexico).

My Brother’s Voice by Andrea Bersani is a docu-movie and it’s the story of a family, his neighbors from a small town near Rome. Anna is five years old. She has a little sister, Sharon. While Anna is really quiet and “mature”, Sharon’s liveliness in uncontrollable and often Anna is overshadowed by this exuberance. They should also have an older brother….but he is not there with them. From when Anna and Sharon are born, Riccardo lives just in their mother, Francesca and their father Massimo stories… he is just a presence really hard to feel…. During a summer afternoon something change: from the TV cabinet, scores of old videotapes come out from the past…from 15 years before and suddenly, thanks to Francesca and Massimo courage, Riccardo is not more just a presence in their parents stories…is a real figure…they can see him, look at him in his most important moments….finally hear his voice. While outside the nature makes its life cycle…this family is ready to be born again.

This docu-film is an act of courage from Francesca and Massimo who have opened their house door to their neighbor but, despite the wonderful story told, the real straight of this movie is the director respect for this family and for their story. Andrea’s work, not only is a great work in the shadow, but is also a proof of silent and deep respect for their loss, their pain and their memories. The camera dwell upon a detail, especially when tears come from Francesca and when her voice stars to crack. What is vain for the story ( as Riccardo died? ) is just suggested in few clues but is not a priority so it doesn’t matter if someone doesn’t put the clues together. What matters is to breathe new life into Riccardo through those old tapes and to give Anna and Sharon a voice…memories of their late beloved brother…as part of their life.

A well deserved award for Andrea Bersani, but also for Francesca, Massimo, Anna, Sharon…and Riccardo.

Listen to the Q & A with director Andrea Bersani (in English) after the screening here.