Jonas Carpignano (b. 1984, New York) spent his childhood between Rome and New York, and later attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He has lived and worked in Calabria for the past five years, and in 2012 he attended the Sundance Screenwriters & Directors Lab, where he won a prestigious award. His two short films, A Chjàna (2011) and A Ciambra (2014), could be seen as preparations for his feature-length debut as writer and director, screened as part of this year's Critics' Week in Cannes. In the first, inspired by racial unrest in Italy, we encounter the character of Ayiva, the protagonist of Mediterranea. The director uses a subjective point of view and avoids repeating established truths, instead capturing the authentic atmosphere of the events. He has a long-standing interest in the lives of racial minorities in Europe, perhaps motivated by his own mixed background.
50. MFF Karlovy Vary
