Hotel Splendid is an intimate and profound account of a community of migrants from the African coasts who are living in a reception center for asylum seekers. It is an unprecedented glimpse into the daily experiences and operation of an Italian hotel turned into an emergency camp for refugees.
The documentary interweaves two narratives to recount two different routes: the asylum seekers' dramatic voyage to reach Europe, marked by acts of violence and abuse, and their paths from their arrival at the reception center until the conclusion of the process. Through migrants' personal accounts and experiences in Italy, the film depicts a multifaceted social reality, where tragic pasts coexist with moments of daily joy. It also confronts the issue of the migrants' integration into a new land.
The film describes the asylum seekers' one-year stay at the center, and the long wait for an interview with the commission that will decide on their applications. That crucial moment could result in either the documents to start a new life, or the denial of their applications, and hence a painful impediment to their struggles to reach Italy.
The screening will follow with a discussion led by Cindy Horst and Akis Papataxiarchis, with link with director.
Subtitled in English
Duration 90' mins
Attendance is free
