Special Screening

Thursday, January 23 • Social hour at 6:30pm • Screening at 7:15pm

Join MSP Film Society, Black Europe Film Festival, Archives on Screen, and the Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul for a special 10th-anniversary screening of Asmarina, a powerful and deeply personal documentary exploring the lives of Eritrean and Ethiopian communities in Milan. Directed by Medhin Paolos and Alan Maglio, the film bridges contemporary experiences with the legacy of Western colonialism in the Horn of Africa, shedding light on a vital yet underexplored chapter of postcolonial history.

After the screening, director Medhin Paolos will join us virtually for an insightful conversation exploring the past, present, and future of East African diasporas.

Before the screening, join us for a social hour to connect with fellow attendees and learn more about three upcoming festivals: the Black Europe Film Festival of Minneapolis-Saint Paul (January 30-February 2), the third edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato on Tour (February 14-16) brought to you by Archives on Screen, Twin Cities (February 14-16), and the 16th Italian Film Festival of Minneapolis / St. Paul (February 27-March 2).

This event is presented in collaboration with the Eritrean Student Association at the University of Minnesota.

ABOUT THE FILM

Created through over 18 months of meticulous research, Asmarina is a collective project that intertwines oral histories with archival audiovisual materials, offering a more complete narrative of East African diasporas in Italy. The film highlights the everyday lives of Habesha men and women—longstanding residents, Italian-born members of the diaspora, and newly arrived refugees—presenting a rich tapestry of memories, identities, and aspirations.

What makes Asmarina truly unique is its approach: crafted by filmmakers who are not outsiders but engaged members of the community, amplifying voices from within. The result is a nuanced and intimate portrayal of overlooked yet vital diasporas in Black Europe.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Medhin Paolos is filmmaker, photographer, musician and social justice activist. Her work focuses on diaspora, citizenship rights, migration and queerness. For ten years Paolos was part of the folk-electronic band Fiamma Fumana bringing forward the female folk tradition of the Mondine of Northern Italy and performed internationally at venues like Melkweg, Womex and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Paolos is the co-founder of the Milan chapter of Rete G2-Seconde Generazioni, a national organization that promotes the human and civic rights of descendants of immigrants in Italy. In recent years, she has been awarded fellowships at Harvard University, MIT Institute of Technology and Wellesley College, where she conceptualized “Archives of Justice”, an educational platform for bringing a plurality of voices, histories, and cultures to the forefront through media and artistic interventions. She was a Professor of the Practice at Tufts University before joining the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University in the Fall of 2023.