DIRECTOR: Various | Italy / Palestine | 2014 | 89min
It should be fiction, but it’s true. Refusing to watch while thousands of refugees from the conflict-ravaged Arab world die attempting to infiltrate the safety of the European Fortress, a group of young Italians concoct the perfect plan: no one could suspect a wedding party. So, with five asylum-seekers, a marriage is fabricated and a journey begins, crossing the mountains into France, through Germany, Denmark and onwards to Sweden. It’s the most relevant and thrilling of contemporary road movies, nuanced with humour, heartbreak and extreme suspense. The Italians risk a jail sentence for human trafficking, while for the refugees it’s the danger of returning to the places they’ve risked their lives to escape. Utterly unique, On The Bride’s Side takes cinema-activism – and independence – to new, unforgettable heights.
Festival Appearances
Venice FF, IDFA First Look Competition
Screenings at Encounters 2015
CT: Sun 7 8.15pm CN V&A | Wed 10 8.30pm Labia
Jozi: Tue 9 8.45pm CN Rosebank