Rebibbia Lockdown at the 78th Venice International Film Festival

Today, at the Venice Production Bridge – 78th Venice International Film Festival, the documentary Rebibbia Lockdown premiered for the press. Directed by Fabio Cavalli and inspired by an idea from Luiss Vice President Paola Severino, the film portrays the experience of four Luiss university students alongside a group of inmates from the high-security wing of Rebibbia prison.

The screening took place in the Spazio Incontri of the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido, attended by Vice President Severino, the CEO of Rai Cinema, Paolo Del Brocco, director Cavalli, and the Head of the Penitentiary Administration Department, Bernardo Petralia, with the special participation of the four Luiss students who are the protagonists of the story. The day began with the reading of greetings from the Minister of Justice, Marta Cartabia, who emphasized the importance of this initiative. It focuses on the prison system and the value of legality through dialogue between Luiss students and young inmates.

Produced by Clipper Media with Rai Cinema, supported by the Lazio Region’s Regional Film Fund, and made possible thanks to the cooperation of the Ministry of Justice’s Department of Prison Administration, Rebibbia Lockdown gives voice to the fears and anxieties sparked by the pandemic within the prison system, as well as its impact on inmates and prison officers. During the period when COVID-19 forced everyone to isolate at home, the documentary’s protagonists engaged in a lively exchange of letters, where each individual openly shared their dreams, hopes, and sacrifices. Only at the end of the lockdown will all the protagonists have the opportunity to meet again in person in the Rebibbia university classroom, feeling closer than ever before.

“This documentary film stems from the enthusiasm with which our Luiss students wanted to reaffirm their commitment to the 'Legality and Merit' project, even during the pandemic. I introduced this project to our university some time ago, believing that respect for the rules should be fostered from a young age. For years, a growing number of young volunteers have been addressing these issues in schools located in Italy’s most disadvantaged areas, as well as in correctional facilities. Not even the lockdown stopped us; in fact, it served as a catalyst to connect young people isolated at home with inmates confined in prison. This sparked a deep and intense dialogue, as depicted in the documentary film, which navigated this challenging period. It captured the loneliness of the inmates, unable to receive visits from their families, and the isolation of the students, who couldn't meet with their classmates. This exchange also unfolded during the dramatic moments of the prison uprising, culminating in a touching encounter at Rebibbia Prison, which was finally accessible again. The words, the looks, the welcome—everything around us confirmed that we can and must talk about legality in every context: to the young students who believe in the value of merit and to the young inmates who gave me the most beautiful definition of the value they have begun to believe in again: “Legality is feeling at peace with oneself and with the world.” That’s precisely why Luiss wanted to give its best students the chance to achieve a coveted goal: demonstrate their skills, win the competition, and enroll in university with a scholarship. “A small contribution to the great commitment of the many who quietly work to educate young people and rehabilitate convicts,” said Luiss Vice President Prof. Paola Severino.

“Between February and April 2020, hundreds of thousands of inmates worldwide tried everything they could to avoid a fate worse than death. Some nations (Iran, Turkey) released tens of thousands of inmates as a precaution. In others, distancing measures were hastily implemented. In Italy, they temporarily suspended the sentences of a few hundred elderly and sick inmates, sparking outlandish protests from politicians about “easy releases” of “super-criminals.”

Amid the appalling conditions of overcrowding and lack of privacy, some Italian inmates—cut off from any contact with their families and horrified by the thousands of daily deaths in the cities beyond the impenetrable walls—rebelled and made desperate attempts to escape. To no avail. The state always takes action and prevails against those—few or many—who rise up against it. But there are different ways of acting. In Rebibbia, the state is represented by a Prison Police Corps that, with firmness, reason, and persuasion, calms the spirits of the rioters and secures the prison within a few hours, without harming anyone. And immediately afterward, it seeks and finds possible answers to the deep anguish and anger of those living beyond the gates,”stated director Fabio Cavalli.

“This film centers on a profound reflection on some of the core themes of every modern democracy: the education of young people and the rehabilitation of prisoners. Fabio Cavalli’s work, inspired by an idea from Professor Severino and once again brimming with profound personal and civic testimony, suggests that a synthesis between these two major themes is possible.

To produce Rebibbia Lockdown, we took on a challenge that seemed nearly impossible due to the complexity of the topics and the situation we faced. Yet, thanks to the commitment and extraordinary collaboration of all project partners, we managed to complete the work in the midst of a pandemic.

I’d like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to Professor Severino, to Luiss University, to President Bernardo Petralia, Head of the Department of Prison Administration (DAP), to Carmelo Cantone, Superintendent of the Prison Administration for Lazio, Abruzzo, and Molise, to Rosella Santoro, Director of the Rebibbia N.C. (new complex) prison, and of course to Fabio Cavalli and to Clipper Media, which produced the film.

We are confident that, starting today, this film will begin its journey to reach the public. As Rai Cinema, we will certainly be there to support all the initiatives necessary for its dissemination, from working with schools to broadcasting it on television,”stated Paolo Del Brocco, CEO of Rai Cinema.

Launched in 2017, the “Legality and Merit in Schools” project has always been designed for high school students and young inmates at Juvenile Correctional Institutions across Italy. Its aim is to raise their awareness of the values of legality and merit, as well as a culture of shared responsibility, rules, civic responsibility, transparency, and respect for common goods. “Legality and Merit in Schools” is an initiative developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of University and Research, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate, and the National Anti-Corruption Authority.