Once a year in the small Sicilian town of Siculiana, a black statue of Jesus is carried in procession through the crowded streets of the town on the shoulders of selected believers. On this occasion, hundreds of Siculianese emigrants come from all parts of Italy and abroad to pay homage to their patron saint. In recent years, however, the city has been divided over the presence of asylum seekers at Villa Sikania, a hotel that was converted into a reception center for refugees in 2014. Few Siculianesi have ever exchanged a single word with the refugees. This dichotomy is the subject of the film A BLACK JESUS, which tells the story of 19-year-old Edward, a refugee from Ghana who lives in Villa Sikania. When he witnesses the annual procession and sees the black statue of Jesus, he dreams of being one of the bearers.
Documentary
1h 32min
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When a refugee from Ghana requests to participate in a traditional Christian procession, differing opinions divide a small Italian town.
Once a year in the small Sicilian town of Siculiana, a black statue of Jesus is carried in procession through the crowded streets of the town on the shoulders of selected believers. On this occasion, hundreds of Siculianese emigrants come from all parts of Italy and abroad to pay homage to their patron saint.
In recent years, however, the city has been divided over the presence of asylum seekers at Villa Sikania, a hotel that was converted into a reception center for refugees in 2014. Few Siculianesi have ever exchanged a single word with the refugees.
This dichotomy is the subject of the film A BLACK JESUS, which tells the story of 19-year-old Edward, a refugee from Ghana who lives in Villa Sikania. When he witnesses the annual procession and sees the black statue of Jesus, he dreams of being one of the bearers.