At the annual "Tinku" festival, Herman fights on the streets of Macha, Bolivia, in a ritual where the shedding of blood is believed to honour Mother Earth, "Pachamama", and to bring about a good harvest in the year to come.

His daughter, Mirta, is worried about her father and tries to stop him from fighting. Close Up's first episode, Bolivia's Fight Club, follows Herman, a miner who lives in Colquechaca with his family, to present this ritual and explore the concepts of masculinity that underpin the practice.

"Even if you beat me, I'm going to fight back, I won't say 'no' to a fight," says Herman.

Hundreds of individuals from indigenous communities take part in Tinku, a Bolivian Quechua tradition that dates back 600 years to the Incan empire.

The celebrations start with dancing, followed by street wars that break out spontaneously and likewise quickly wind down.

A film by: Jesper Klemedsson & Francesco Alesi Produced by Recapto.

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Watch the video on Aljazeera. 


Video made by Internazionale for screening during the Ferrara Festival in 2019.

Duration 3'22'', texts in Italian

Bekoji full photo reportage 


Castel Volturno is a city of 25,000 inhabitants 40km from Naples, Italy.

It is a unique town: it has the highest percentage of Africans in Europe. According to official statistics, 10% of the inhabitants come from Africa. According to the Caritas Centre, which looks after foreigners in need, there are between 10,000 and 15,000 Africans living in the city.

The population is comprised mostly of sub-Saharians, young, male, poor and illegal who live in the dilapidated suburbs of the city. They wake up at 4,30 am to get the first bus from Castel Volturno to the roundabouts of Naples in the hope of finding a job for 25 euros.

For the Italian Government "they are clandestine to be repatriated," whereas best-selling author Roberto Saviano defines them "an asset for Italy." In 2008 the South African singer Miriam Makeba died in Castel Volturno after her last concert. "She died in Africa," commented her relatives.

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Awarded with Premio Anello Debole at Capodarco Film Festival

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