{"id":23111,"date":"2025-07-22T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/?p=23111"},"modified":"2025-07-22T16:32:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T23:32:49","slug":"the-vis-brings-melkams-story-of-redemption-and-social-inclusion-to-the-giffoni-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2025\/07\/22\/the-vis-brings-melkams-story-of-redemption-and-social-inclusion-to-the-giffoni-film-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"The VIS Brings Melkam\u2019s Story of Redemption and Social Inclusion to the Giffoni Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

(ANS \u2013 Giffoni Valle Piana)<\/strong> \u2013 Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, world champion Paralympic water skier Daniele Cassioli<\/strong> y Michela Vallarino<\/strong>, President of the Salesian NGO Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo<\/em> (VIS \u2013 International Volunteering for Development), will present the animated short film “Melkam \u2013 Beyond the Boundaries of Disability”<\/strong> at the Giffoni Film Festival<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film tells the true story of Melkam<\/strong>, a young Ethiopian woman blind from birth who overcame extreme socio-economic vulnerability, prejudice, and exclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Italian-Ethiopian production brings to the international stage of Giffoni the inspiring journey of Melkam, who, after a life of hardship in Addis Ababa, became a respected weaver, a wife, and mother of three. Despite living on the streets, begging, and being forced into marriage, she rebuilt her life\u2014by choice and determination\u2014through education and vocational training in a society where people with disabilities are often marginalized and accused of being cursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short film was made possible by VIS with the creative collaboration of students from the Graphic Design course <\/em><\/strong>at the Salesian Technical School of Mekanissa<\/em><\/strong>, Addis Ababa. The students met Melkam in person, heard her story, and then spent a week in class contributing ideas and inspiration. The final production was completed in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s Giffoni Film Festival, held from July 17 to 26 in the small town of Giffoni Valle Piana, is themed \u201cBecoming Human\u201d<\/strong>\u2014a theme perfectly aligned with the short film\u2019s message, which aims to raise awareness about discrimination, disability, and the power of social redemption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis project is a beacon of hope,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> says Daniele Cassioli. \u201cSharing it at Giffoni makes it even more powerful. I often think young people are truly ready for inclusion, and telling them this story will be an emotional experience for all of us. Visual impairment is not often represented when we talk about disability\u2014people usually think of prosthetics or wheelchairs. But this story shows vulnerability goes beyond what we can see; it can touch us all.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short film is also available in an accessible version for the visually impaired, with audio description<\/strong> provided by Artis Project<\/em> through the MovieReading<\/em> app, in collaboration with the National Association for the Visually Impaired<\/em> y DescriVedendo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project was made possible as part of \u201cI-LEAD: Job Inclusion through Accessible Education and Digitalization\u201d<\/strong>, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation<\/strong> and implemented by VIS in Ethiopia in partnership with the Salesians of Don Bosco<\/strong>, <\/strong>ECDD<\/strong>, <\/strong>CBM Italia<\/strong>, <\/strong>y Albergo Etico<\/strong>. The goal is to strengthen access to vocational training, employment, and social inclusion for people with disabilities and vulnerable youth in Addis Ababa, the Oromia region, and Southern Ethiopia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the short film here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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