Damme La Manu - Justin Adams & Mauro Durante

"Damme La Manu" is a short experimental documentary from director Joe Adams and cinematographer Tom Reeves. The two-man team, who have collaborated on multiple creative endeavours across the past seven years, recently embarked on a six-day visit in the hearts of both Milan and London documenting youths from each city.

The film explores the theme of youth resilience between the two cities and how this takes shape despite cultural differences - or similarities: “We wanted to make a film about the strength of our younger generations. A film about unity and a film that gives evidence that the youth are present in the bettering of our societies.”

Both creatives have observed the repercussions of the impact the actions that far-right led governments have on marginalised migrant groups particularly. These are policies that have idealised with worser conditions for almost a decade in both cities and that mainstream media has failed to either accurately report on or cover.

Adams (23 yo) and Reeves (22 yo) were aged 15 and 16 when Brexit was sanctioned meaning they had no say in where the future of European relationships lay, and have witnessed the subsequent seismic effects. Yet despite the migration laws between the UK and Europe becoming more harsh, the youth are forging their own intercultural and international relationships.
“We’d had enough of hearing that youths are social media addicts and E-cigarette mad,” the young creatives said. “We are strong when we are together and we won’t let anyone dictate our futures. We stand with an anti-brexit ceasefire and aggressively proactive attitude against the political agendas that both Italy and the UK are pushing.”

Both cities remain important hubs for culture and creativity, which are recognised globally. Where their respective migration patterns have been demonised by government authorities, Adams and Reeves recognise that it has only brought a cultural richness worthy of being celebrated.
In this short film, the director and cinematographer celebrate the freedom of movement between citizens of the world. They aspire to continue shedding light on the passion, compadres and strength of the multicultural youth that right- wing leaders wouldn’t want to show.

"Damme La Manu", a beautiful song by the celebrated duo formed by British guitarist and producer Justin Adams and Italian violinist and percussionist Mauro Durante, is the perfect soundtrack of this portrait, in which contact, movement, holding hands (Damme la manu means give me your hand) are the answer to any barrier, political and cultural.

"Damme La Manu" was made possible thanks to the support of Italian cultural foundation Puglia Sounds, Programmazione Puglia Sounds Producers 2023.

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