The initiative will run until December 18 in all secondary schools in the Azores, with the aim of raising students’ awareness of cultural diversity and human rights through the screening of four films focused on the phenomenon of migration.

The Regional Directorate for Communities has launched the third edition of Cinema Without Borders – Regional Film Festival on Migration, an initiative that will run in all secondary schools in the Azores until December 18. The main objective is to raise awareness among the student community about the phenomenon of migration, promoting the appreciation of cultural diversity and human rights, and encouraging the construction of a more just and supportive society.

The exhibition travels across the nine islands of the Azores and presents a cycle of four films that invite students to reflect on themes such as inclusion, multiculturalism, and the challenges of coexistence between different cultures.

The initiative opened at the Manuel de Arriaga Secondary School on the island of Faial with a screening of the film “Flow – À Deriva” (Drifting), an animation by Gints Zibalodis. This film, without dialogue, illustrates cooperation and solidarity through the collaboration of a cat and other animals on a drifting boat.

The program also includes the screening of “Migrants,” which follows two polar bears forced to abandon their habitat; the documentary “Human Flow” by Ai Weiwei, which portrays the global scale of millions of displaced people and gives voice to their experiences; and “Desert Flower” by Sherry Hormann, which tells the true story of Waris Dirie, a women’s rights advocate who overcame female genital mutilation.

The initiative will cover schools across all the islands, from São Miguel to Corvo. The third edition of Cinema Sem Fronteiras will close on December 18 at EBS do Nordeste in São Miguel.

In Diário da Lagoa, Clife Botelho, director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.