“The Jungle” is an unconventional take on many problems that refugees in present-day Europe have to contend with. It raises issues like social exclusion, building community above divisions, and searching for a new home. The director immerses us in an unusual place called the Jungle, an immigrants’ camp in the forest bordering the Italian town of Gorizia. The forest is a refuge where they can talk, cook and pray freely. We get to know them thanks to Elisa Menon, an engaged theatre director who decides to stage a performance for the local community with the young migrants. The project becomes an opportunity for them to look deep inside themselves, venture out of their comfort zone, and break down the barrier of mistrust between the two groups. Running against the media’s common images of hostility towards refugees, the film shows that mutual understanding and acceptance are attainable against all odds.
