The Erasmus+ project Atelier Pelikula has come to an end, bringing valuable results through international cooperation and work at the Sonda Creative Centre. These outcomes are now available to the wider public and to organizations active in the fields of education, culture, and the arts.

Documentary film workshops were simultaneously held in Vižinada, Rijeka, and Monfalcone, bringing together 23 young people from different social and cultural backgrounds: members of the Bengali community from Italy, young migrants from Ukraine, and participants from rural areas of Istria.

Under the guidance of mentors Davor Sanvincenti, Maša Drndić, and Massimo Mucchiut, participants developed original works, explored themes of identity, migration, inclusion, and sustainability, and discovered their own voices through the creative process. As a result, short documentary videos were created and presented to the public in June during a final screening at the Sonda Creative Centre in Vižinada. This symbolically concluded the project, while the works of the young participants remain publicly available on the project’s official YouTube channel to continue fostering dialogue on issues shaping contemporary society.

In addition to the videos, key materials were developed: a methodological guide, lecture guidelines, and a curriculum for working with young people through film. These summarize key insights and approaches – from methodology and ethical considerations to the experiences of mentors and participants, and offer a set of practical recommendations for organizations and individuals wishing to initiate similar projects in their communities. The materials can be downloaded here, while the methodological guide is also available in printed form.

The project also had a strong impact on the partner organizations themselves, helping them develop new working methods, improve their educational practices, and strengthen their capacities for further international cooperation. Furthermore, collaboration between civil society and the local community was reinforced, especially through the active engagement of the Municipality of Vižinada. A special contribution came from international experts – Samir Ljuma, director of photography of the award-winning film Honeyland, and Veton Nurkollari, artistic director of Dokufest – who, at the very beginning of the project, shared their experiences with mentors and the local community in Istria through lectures and discussions. This provided access to knowledge and practices that would otherwise have been harder to reach due to financial or geographic barriers.

It is worth noting that the project received funding under the KA-210-YOU Small-Scale Partnerships program area, approved by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, and co-financed by the European Union within the Erasmus+ program.