Geology of Separation
Qumra Screenings - Qumra 2024
Yosr Gasmi, Mauro Mazzocchi / Tunisia, France, Italy, Qatar / 2023 / 153 min / Unknown / DCP / In Arabic, French, Italian / Arabic, English subtitles
Themes: Arthouse, Creative Documentary, Immigration
Rated: 
Mature subject matter. May not be suitable for minors. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas
Description
A poignant exploration of the migrant experience, this documentary-drama hybrid focuses on the lives of Abderhaman and Laly, two asylum seekers searching for a home but trapped in a land of limbo. The film perfectly captures the endless bureaucratic battles faced by those seeking refuge. The title refers to a time around 230 million years ago when our continents joined as one landmass called 'Pangea'. The film's portrayal of the personal challenges faced by migrants is both a reflection on the state of asylum-seeking in Europe and a broader commentary on human rights and dignity—challenging viewers to consider the complexities of separation, belonging, and the human desire for safety and recognition.
Director
Yosr Gasmi
Yosr Gasmi is a Tunisian writer, producer and director born in Tunisia. She is a post-graduate in French and comparative literature (Arabic and French Drama) from Paris IV and the ENS of Tunis. Mauro Mazzocchi is an Italian producer and director. He holds a post-graduate degree in philosophy from the University of Milan and a diploma in theatre studies (L’Arsenale). The two directors work as a technical and expressive multiplicity without hierarchy. They wrote, directed, and produced their first project, ‘I Want to Go Mad, Raving Mad - L.E.N.Z.’, a black-and-white fiction.
This first self-produced film was shown in Les Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage and FiDMarseille (2017). In 2023, Gasmi and Mazzocchi’s second film, ‘Geology of Separation’, was selected for the Tiger Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). This documentary, produced by L’Argent, also made its way into the official selections of FESPACO and FIDMarseille, competing in the Ciné+ Competition. That same year, ‘Geology of Separation’ garnered the jury’s first prize at the Gabes Cinema Fen Festival in Tunisia and the DocPoint Prize at Biografilm, marking a significant achievement for the directors’ collective work.
Mauro Mazzocchi
Yosr Gasmi is a Tunisian writer, producer and director born in Tunisia. She is a post-graduate in French and comparative literature (Arabic and French Drama) from Paris IV and the ENS of Tunis. Mauro Mazzocchi is an Italian producer and director. He holds a post-graduate degree in philosophy from the University of Milan and a diploma in theatre studies (L’Arsenale). The two directors work as a technical and expressive multiplicity without hierarchy. They wrote, directed, and produced their first project, ‘I Want to Go Mad, Raving Mad - L.E.N.Z.’, a black-and-white fiction.
This first self-produced film was shown in Les Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage and FiDMarseille (2017). In 2023, Gasmi and Mazzocchi’s second film, ‘Geology of Separation’, was selected for the Tiger Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). This documentary, produced by L’Argent, also made its way into the official selections of FESPACO and FIDMarseille, competing in the Ciné+ Competition. That same year, ‘Geology of Separation’ garnered the jury’s first prize at the Gabes Cinema Fen Festival in Tunisia and the DocPoint Prize at Biografilm, marking a significant achievement for the directors’ collective work.
Credits
- Producer
- Mauro Mazzocchi
- Editor
- Yosr Gasmi
- Cast
- Abderhaman Al Ghuzayli, Laly, The asylum seekers from Cosio Valtellino center in Italy, Giulio Salvi, Rosanna Vanotti, Singh