Rwanda 20 years later. Portraits of change

Rosita Ferrato, Chairman of the Coffee Association of Journalists, presented in Turin "Rwanda 20 years later. Portraits of change", a cross-media project by Giordano Cossu, with photos of Arno Lafontaine, which includes, in addition to the photo exhibition, a web-documentary and a TV documentary, produced by Hirya Lab in co-production with RFI (Radio France Internationale), France 24 and La Stampa. Introduce the exhibition the author of the project, Giordano Cossu, and the editor of La Stampa, Mario Calabresi.
In 2014 marks the twentieth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. The political government, which replaced the previous responsible for those tragic events, administers the country since 1994, promoting a strong policy of reconciliation, which aims to create "new Rwanda", but the memory of the genocide, of course, is still very much alive in the collective memory of the Rwandan people. For this reason, Giordano Cossu, journalist and documentary filmmaker, he crossed the country between August and December 2013, with the photographer Arno Lafontaine, to meet and talk with dozens of Rwandan rural world in an attempt to give voice to that memory and bring to our attention to today's life in Rwanda in a true, deep, devoid of prejudices.
Lafontaine, with only the help of an optical device with a goal Aero Ektar 1937 and some rolls of delicate and hard to find instant film, he portrayed people who wanted to be interviewed; two clicks for each one, one by donating to the subject of the photograph, the other to become a part of this extraordinary portfolio that makes up the exhibition. We are far from the concept of digital photography because each photo is unique and is a privileged bridge to break down cultural barriers and throw the seed of mutual acquaintance and recognition.
The stories we have collected Cossu and Lafontaine are an invaluable set of interviews and images that give us the complicated situation of a country approaching, through the words and the image of himself that respondents wanted to give, to a people who fought and continues to struggle to rebuild their lives and national identity and who does not deserve to be "nailed" to the days of the devastating genocide that took him to the media limelight 20 years ago.
The Coffee Association of Journalists, a cultural association (www.caffedeigiornalisti.it) susceptible to any definition of journalism that avoids sensationalism and prefers preparation and attention to personal and professional, choose this project to reopen the season of autumn meetings in Turin offering, in addition to the exhibition photographic accompanied by indications from the inventor, the documentary, supported by La Stampa, which contributes to the Italian Grand Prix 2014 as always, access is open to the public free of charge.
The toast of the inauguration is curated by LiberaMensa, food for free minds, a project that has been operating since 2005 throughout the home district of Turin Lorusso e Cutugno and offer that combines quality and social commitment through production workshops artisan gastronomy, pastry and bakery, to ensure employment, training and prospects for reintegration to a growing number of inmates.

GIORDANO COSSU
Journalist, documentary filmmaker, founder of the production company Hirya Lab (www.hiryalab.net), it follows in particular social issues, sustainable development and conflict situations and humanitarian crises. Prior to "Rwanda 20 years later: Portraits of Change" was co-author of webdocumentary "Goudou Goudou, the ignored voices of reconstruction", which presents the point of view of the Haitian population in the post-earthquake of 2010, awarded at the Festival of the Web-TV in La Rochelle (France) and at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia in 2011 has worked with media reports in La Stampa, L'Espresso, The Epoch Times, The Christian Science Monitor, RFI, France 24 and TV5 Monde.

ARNO LAFONTAINE
Artist, painter and French photographer (www.art-no.net), he developed a passion for art to capture and share a moment, through snapshots offers and then "lost". The chemistry of the Polaroid won for its saturated tones, its uniqueness and randomness, immediate development accompanied by the expectation, surprise, the spell at the time of discovery. He developed the photographic concept applied in Rwanda, "One for you, one for me" in the course of a long journey through Asia, his great passion, where it is now.

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