Alessandro Grande's 'Bismillah' Wins David di Donatello for Best Short Film

Alessandro Grande's short film 'Bismillah' won the David di Donatello 2018 for Best Short Film. The 14-minute film follows a 17-year-old Tunisian boy, Jamil, with a high fever and his younger sister Samira, around 10 years old, who fear being sent back to Tunisia if they seek medical help. The story is inspired by the 2011 Arab Spring, when Italy recorded its highest influx of Tunisian immigrants—about 23,000 people. Linda Mresy, cast after auditions at the Tunisian socio-cultural center in Rome, plays Samira. Grande describes the film as 'a story of love and brotherhood,' aiming to convey emotions through everyday gestures. The film competed against 'Confino' by Nico Bonomolo, 'La giornata' by Pippo Mezzapesa, 'Mezzanotte Zero Zero' by Nicola Conversa, and 'Pazzo&Bella' by Marcello Di Noto. Grande previously explored marginalization in 'Margerita,' about a Romani boy. 'Bismillah' is not a documentary but seeks to communicate the fear and anxiety of migrants, portraying them as 'ghosts of the present' who must hide to avoid injustice or deportation. The title means 'in the name of God' in Arabic, a prayer repeated by Samira.