Rukeli by Alessandro Rak is is among the five finalists for the Nastri d’Argento 2026, in the Animation category.

The Nastri d’Argento, or Silver Ribbons, are among Italy’s most prestigious film awards, assigned every year by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. Being selected among the finalists is therefore an important recognition for the film and for the path it has taken so far.

The news comes during a week dedicated to promoting Roma culture and fighting antigypsyism, and for us this carries a very deep meaning.

The story of Johann Trollmann, the Roma boxer persecuted by the Nazi regime, does not belong only to the past. It speaks directly to our present.

Because in a time when we thought that Roma camps, concentration camps, segregation and persecution were images confined to history, we are still confronted with communities that are excluded, confined, discriminated against, deprived of fundamental rights and dehumanized, to the point where the darkest shadow returns: the shadow of genocide.

RUKELI reminds us that memory is never secured once and for all. It must be preserved, shared and defended.

Because when we lose memory, we also lose the tools to recognize what is happening around us.

Rukeli, directed by Alessandro Rak, written by Biagio Di Bennardo and Emma Ferulano, conceived within the Chi rom e chi no workshop in Scampia, involving a group of young Rom and Neapolitan participants.