At Giffoni one is 'Suspended' between Paolo Ruffini and Cardinal Zuppi

It is a time for love, for messages of hope, for embracing beautiful things and emotions. It is half the time at the Giffoni Film Festival. Tuesday 23 July marked the fifth day with Sospesi by Paolo Ruffini, a short film made in collaboration with Giffoni with the youngsters from the San Patrignano community who become thinkers and actors in a story within stories, but also Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi president of the Italian Bishops' Conference. In the midst of so many guests, so many reflections and emotional moments coloured by joy, enthusiasm and tears of emotion that only a "magical place like Giffoni" is capable of providing.

Finally, the screening of the film The Children of Gaza - On the Waves of Freedom directed by Loris Lai, inspired by the novel by Nicoletta Bortolotti, framed another eventful day. The film, distributed by Eagle Pictures, tells the story of Mahmud, a young Palestinian just 11 years old, who dreams of being a surfer and shares this enormous passion with Alon, an Israeli peer. Falling in love with oneself in order to be able to return the love, finding oneself... 'suspended'.

And it is love that has saved the world of the young people from the San Patrignano community who made the short film Sospesi presented before an audience of excited Giffoners who were able to confront many stories in a single story of redemption and revenge but above all of unconditional love in finding their way and themselves to love (also) others with a language of reality and truth. Together with the boys of the "Cinelab Sanpa" and Paolo Ruffini who directed them, in the Truffaut hall it was possible to be moved in front of 38 minutes of pure magic in black and white made of unique sensations for a project that saw the collaboration of Giffoni itself. Produced by Vera Film and San Patrignano in collaboration with Giffoni and the technical support of Morgana Studio, the short film was written, directed and interpreted by the young people of the community, who were part of an experimental lab.

'The beautiful things in life can also just be embraced, this short film is a small miracle'. And speaking of messages of love for Cardinal Zuppi, 'the most important thing is to look to the future with hope, and from here comes much hope. We must learn hospitality, which we also have a great need of. I would make a great Giffoni because if a small place like this attracts so much it is precisely because there is a great desire not to be indifferent and here there is a history of listening, of attention, of trust. If Europe became a little more Giffoni we would rediscover its various roots'.

There was also politics at the Giffoni Film Festival, as there always has been: young people can confront current issues and choices. Yesterday it was the turn of the Minister for the Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti: from disaffection towards politics to the fight against tax evasion, from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the issue of citizenship income, Giorgetti answered everything clearly, with that frankness that distinguishes him. The outcome was an authentic meeting, a true confrontation. Then there was room for smiles and lightness with actress Gaia Messerklinger, who played the role of Moana Pozzi in the Netflix series Supersex about the life of Rocco Siffredi. Beautiful, empathetic, ironic and self-deprecating: 'I gained self-confidence, I put myself to the test'.