Il Sole Dentro (Bright Flight) was released in 2012.
The film tells two stories: one true and the other fictional but based on real events.
The true story is that of the long journey of Yaguine and Fodè, two Guinean teenagers who in 1999 wrote on behalf of all African children a letter addressed “To their Excellencies the members and leaders of Europe”.
In the letter the two boys ask for help with food, schooling and care in Africa, particularly in their native country of Guinea.
With letter in pocket, Yaguine and Fodè hide in the cart compartment of a plane bound for Brussels and thus begins their extraordinary journey of hope that will end tragically.
The second story is set in Africa 10 years later.
Thabo and Rocco are victims of the illegal market of child football players.
Thabo, taken away from his Guinean village as a football talent, is abandoned on the street because he is considered not gifted enough.
His Italian teammate Rocco tracks him down and the pair go on an adventurous trip to N’Dola, where Thoba’s family lives.
The film was inspired by the most tragic story of Yaguine Koita and Fodé Tounkara, two stowaways who froze to death on a Sabena Airlines Airbus A330 flying from Conakry, in Guinea, to Brussels, in Belgium.
Their bodies were discovered, in embrace, on August 2, 1999, alongside plastic bags with birth certificates, school report cards, family photographs and a letter.
This letter, written in imperfect French, was widely published in the world media.
In March, 2009, Paolo Bianchini, director and ambassador of UNICEF, accompanied by journalist Piero De Gennaro, collaborators of Alveare Cinema Sabina Bianchini and Giuseppina Capozzi, with the collaboration of the community of Sant’Egidio, met in Guinea the parents of the two boys who offered their lives in the name of the most basic human rights.
The film will screen at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre on August 6, 2019 at 7:30 pm.
For more information visit the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre’s website.
English translation of the letter
Excellencies, Messrs. members and officials of Europe,
We have the honourable pleasure and the great confidence in you to write this letter to speak to you about the objective of our journey and the suffering of us, the children and young people of Africa.
But first of all, we present to you life’s most delicious, charming and respected greetings. To this effect, be our support and our assistance. You are for us, in Africa, those to whom it is necessary to request relief. We implore you, for the love of your continent, for the feeling that you have towards your people and especially for the affinity and love that you have for your children whom you love for a lifetime. Furthermore, for the love and meekness of our creator God the omnipotent one who gave you all the good experiences, wealth and ability to well construct and well organize your continent to become the most beautiful one and most admirable among the others.
Messrs. members and officials of Europe, we call out for your solidarity and your kindness for the relief of Africa. Do help us, we suffer enormously in Africa, we have problems and some shortcomings regarding the rights of the child.
In terms of problems, we have war, disease, malnutrition, etc. As for the rights of the child in Africa, and especially in Guinea, we have too many schools but a great lack of education and training. Only in the private schools can one have a good education and good training, but it takes a great sum of money. Now, our parents are poor and it is necessary for them to feed us. Furthermore, we have no sports schools where we could practice soccer, basketball or tennis.
This is the reason, we, African children and youth, ask you to create a big efficient organization for Africa to allow us to progress.
Therefore, if you see that we have sacrificed ourselves and risked our lives, this is because we suffer too much in Africa and that we need you to fight against poverty and to put an end to the war in Africa. Nevertheless, we want to learn, and we ask you to help us in Africa learn to be like you.
Finally, we appeal to you to excuse us very, very much for daring to write this letter to you, the great personages to whom we owe much respect. And do not forget it is to you whom we must lament about the weakness of our abilities in Africa.
Written by two Guinean children, Yaguine Koita and Fodé Tounkara.
