Denied identities: two works in dialogue

This programme presents two different works, in the period in which they are set, in the style, in the stories they tell, but which have in common the theme of sexual identity and the difficult, painful path of conquering it and asserting it, in particular when this identity is not considered “conforming” with a standard and therefore repressed, mocked and the object of persecution.
In Bullied to Death (which won an award at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in July 2016), Giovanni Coda draws inspiration from a true story, that of the fourteen-year-old of Buffalo (USA), J.R., who committed suicide in 2011 after cruel acts of bullying at school and on the net, following his admission of being a homosexual.
In Deseos Carlos Motta tells the story, between documentary and fiction, of two women, through their exchange of letters: Martina, who lived in Colombia in the 19th century, persecuted because she was a hermaphrodite and Nour, who loved in Beirut during the Ottoman Empire, forced to marry the brother of the woman she loved.

Giovanni Coda (Cagliari, 1964) has produced photos, videos, video-installations, painting and video art performances since 1990. He founded the association Labor and the V-art festival in Cagliari and his work has been presented at various international exhibitions and museums.

Bullied to Death (Italia-Stati Uniti/Italy-USA, 2016, 75’)
Regia/direction: Giovanni Coda; produzione/production: Atlantis Moon Productions, con il contributo di/ with the support of: Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, Fondazione Sardegna Film Commission, Comune di Cagliari; coreografia/coreography: Giovanna Stancapiano; montaggio/editing: Federica Ortu; musiche/music: Irma Toudjan, Marco Rosano, Cosimo Morleo, Arnaldo Pontis, Les Stick Fluo.

Carlos Motta (Bogotà, Colombia, 1978)is a multidisciplinary artist who works and lives in New York. He has been making videos since 2005, with attention to queer culture and stories that have been repressed. His work has been presented at numerous museums and contemporary art centres all over the world.

Deseos, (Stati Uniti/USA, 2015, 32’)
Regia/direction: Carlos Motta; produzione/production: Council (France); testo/text: Maya Mikdashi, Carlos Motta; con /with:Maya Mikdashi e/and Jennifer Lorena Jiménez; riprese/camera: Mateo Guzmán, Mark Khalife; montaggio/editing: Carlos Motta; consulente al montaggio/editing consultant: Irit Batsry; suono/sound design: Zachary Dunham, Geoffrey Wilson.

Programme

SATURDAY 19TH NOVEMBER

4.00 P.M. @SPAZIO OBERDAN