Should I Stay or Should I Go: A Documentary on Migration in Calabria

Migration has shaped life in Calabria for generations. Leaving, returning, and starting over are part of everyday conversations there. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO grew out of this reality. The film was commissioned by Giulio Vita and Sara Fratini, founders of the La Guarimba International Short Film Festival, and developed together with filmmaker Thomas Horat and myself. The project is rooted in Amantea and the wider region of Calabria. It reflects both personal histories and broader social questions around movement, identity, and belonging.

How the Collaboration Began

Thomas and I first met at La Guarimba International Short Film Festival in 2017. The festival’s idea of bringing cinema back to the people resonated with both of us. When we returned in 2018, Giulio and Sara invited us to develop a film connected directly to the local community. Should I Stay or Should I Go became our first collaboration. From the beginning, it felt important to listen closely and let the place shape the film.

Migration and the Question of Return

The project initially focused on return migration. Many people from Calabria leave and later consider coming back. While developing the film, we met Stanley Eboigbe from Nigeria. His story shifted the direction of the documentary.

By including Stanley, the film began to connect past and present forms of migration. Italian migration histories sit next to the experiences of recent refugees in Italy. The question of whether to stay or go suddenly carried a wider meaning.

Shared Experiences Across Backgrounds

Daniele, Saveria, and Stanley come from very different backgrounds. Still, their stories overlap in unexpected ways. They share hopes, doubts, and the pressure of difficult decisions. The film avoids a simple “us and them” narrative. Instead, it looks at migration as a shared human experience shaped by circumstance rather than nationality.

A Visual Approach to Storytelling

We chose a visual language inspired by staged photography and portrait work. Carefully composed shots slow the pace and create space for reflection. This approach allowed us to move beyond observation and focus on presence and dignity. The film opens with an Italian newsreel from 1965 showing Italian migrants in Switzerland. That moment sets a historical frame and introduces themes of shame, exclusion, and xenophobia that still feel relevant today.

Looking Beyond Borders

Should I Stay or Should I Go does not follow a linear migration story. It moves between times, places, and perspectives. Calabria remains the emotional center, but the questions extend far beyond the region. The portraits, interviews, and spaces connect individual stories to a larger global context. Migration appears not as an exception, but as an ongoing condition.

Reflection and Intention

The film invites reflection rather than answers. It asks viewers to consider how migration shapes identity and how easily roles can reverse over time. Empathy, rather than judgment, became our guiding principle. For me, this project reinforced the importance of listening closely and working within a community rather than speaking about it from a distance.

Closing Thoughts

Should I Stay or Should I Go is a documentary shaped by place, people, and shared histories. Working in Calabria with Thomas Horat and the La Guarimba team was a grounded and meaningful experience.

The film looks at migration not as a single story, but as a cycle that continues to affect individuals and societies. It is a local film with global relevance, rooted in Calabria but open to anyone who has faced the question of whether to stay or to leave.