An intense evening, crossed by emotion, memory and commitment to peace. On the evening of June 16, the Church of San Giovanni Maggiore welcomed the presentation of the International Peace Pilgrims Award to the Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Haniaamong the most authoritative voices of contemporary civil cinema.
The initiative, promoted by the Archdiocese of Naples ETS as part of the Award process strongly desired by Cardinal Don Mimmo Battaglia, opened with the screening of the film The voice of Hind Rajaba work that tells the tragic story of the Palestinian girl killed in Gaza and which is a powerful act of denunciation against genocide and indifference.
The moment of receiving the recognition was particularly touching. The award to Kaouther Ben Hania was Salma, a Palestinian girl who attended the same school as Hind Rajab and who, thanks to a humanitarian corridor, arrived in Naples in recent months together with her familyfinding acceptance and support in the Neapolitan Palestinian community. A symbolic gesture that deeply moved the audience present.
After the screening, an open dialogue took place on the themes of peace, memory and the role of art in the processes of justice and reconciliation. They were confronted with the director Nino Danieledirector of the Scientific Committee of the Pilgrims of Peace Prize, e Laura Marmoralepresident of Mediterranea Saving Humans. An intense comparison that he retraced the value of cinema as an instrument of civil testimony and human resistance in the face of violations of fundamental rights.
Moments of particular emotion were recorded during the screening of the film and in the subsequent discussion with the director, which was interrupted several times by the applause of those present. Ben Hania reiterated cinema’s responsibility in giving voice to those who risk being forgotten, telling the wounds of conflicts through people’s stories. The Pellegrini Peace Prize awarded to the director is an original sculpture created by the Neapolitan artist Lello Esposito, symbol of the path of dialogue, justice and fraternity that the recognition intends to promote. During the evening, the artistic and civil career of Kaouther Ben Hania was remembered, author of works that address issues such as human rights, migration, the condition of women, radicalization and the consequences of conflicts on the most vulnerable people. With movies The man who sold his skin And Four Daughters, the director received two Oscar nominations, establishing herself as one of the most significant figures on the international cinema scene.
The conclusions of the meeting were entrusted to Gennaro Matino, provicar of the Archdiocese of Naples, who recalled the profound meaning of the Pilgrims of Peace Prize as a tool for building bridges between peoples, cultures and religions, underlining the need to continue to give voice to the innocent victims of conflicts and to educate the new generations in the culture of encounter and peace.
