Thursday 26 March 2026, 17:30
Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh
The documentary screening series Italian Clapperboard continues on Thursday, 26 March at 17:30 at the Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh with La prodigiosa trasformazione della classe operaia in stranieri (Samir, 98′, 2025).
Through archival materials, testimonies, animations, and the narrated voice of Lino Musella, Samir weaves together personal history and collective memory to tell how millions of Italians – farmers, day laborers, and workers – left their homeland in search of a better future, facing hardship, discrimination, and isolation.
At the time, people spoke of the working class: a collective, supportive identity with a project for social change. Today, in common language, that definition seems to have disappeared, replaced by a new label: “foreigners,” fragmented and marginalized figures, often deprived of rights. The documentary explores key themes such as xenophobia, the dignity of labor, and the search for identity in a changing context, and invites reflection on the paradox of an Italy that has transformed from a land of emigration into a country of immigration, yet is still unable to recognize its own history in those who arrive today..
Born in Baghdad in 1955, Samir moved to Switzerland with his parents as a child. After training as a camera operator, he began making his highly innovative films in the mid-1980s, attracting the attention of numerous festivals. His filmography now includes over 40 titles, ranging from short films to feature-length works. In 1994, together with documentary filmmaker Werner Schweizer, he took over the production company Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion, which has since established itself as a talent hub of Swiss cinema.
Watch the trailer here:
The film is in Italian with English subtitles.
Free entry, but booking required. Email rsvp.iicedimburgo@esteri.it for more info & to reserve a seat (please include the full names of all the guests in your party).
DOORS OPEN: 5:00 pm
EVENT STARTS: 5:30 pm
Please note that security checks will be in place on arrival.
Please note that photographs and footage will be taken throughout the event. These images and videos may be used for marketing, publicity, and other purposes, including on our website and social media channels. If you do not wish to have your image used, please inform the event organisers or contact eventi.iicedimburgo@esteri.it before the event.
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