Synopsis

Little Alya and her father are crossing the Mediterranean Sea on a boat that takes them from Africa to Europe. Tragically, the boat sinks. Thanks to Mångata—“the road to the moon”—the rescuers spot little Alya, the sole survivor. Many years later, we find her again as an astronaut on an important lunar mission. In the middle of the mission she has an encounter that teaches her how Mångata, which already saved her life once, will now help her overcome her past trauma.

Director´s Statement

It is difficult to look away from the moon shining in the starry sky, but looking away is what we do as we turn toward the tragic reality of immigration to Europe. According to United Nations data, in the last seven years, more than 27.000 men, women, and children have died or gone missing in the Central Mediterranean. The “Never again” sworn in front of the aligned coffins of the 368 people who lost their lives near Lampedusa on October 3, 2013, has remained only a declaration of intent.

We look at the moon, but we turn away when it comes to looking at the tragedy of those who cross the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Their basic human right to a home often goes unfulfilled and their search for a place to “feel at home” becomes an existential struggle. This is not just an African problem, or a problem of southern European countries; it is the responsibility of all of Europe.

Alya comes from Africa and arrives in Europe following a dream: first a dream of her father’s and then a dream of her own. Mångata, “the road to the moon,” represents the long way to get there. On the Moon, while communication with the base is interrupted, Alya has an encounter that helps her overcome her past trauma and make sense of her loss.

Planet Earth is both Alya’s home and the starting point of Mångata, not just for her, but for all of mankind—of which Alya, with her aspiration and resilience, is a bright symbol.