Meet our resident writers

Sara Manisera, journalist, author, director.

Sara has worked extensively in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, North Africa and Italy. Her research focuses on environmental conflicts, gender issues and food supply chains. Her feature stories and investigations have been published by Al Jazeera, Libèration, El Pais, The Guardian, Irpi Media, Internazionale. In 2023, she became a fellow of the Bertha Foundation with a long-term project exploring grain’s global supply chains. She’s the author of ‘Storie di schiavitù e lotta nella campagna italiana” (Tales of slavery and struggle in the Italian countryside, Aut Aut, 2019), and the co-director of two documentaries, ‘La Terra mi tiene’ (The Earth holds me, Fada Collective, 2022) and ‘Iraq: Youth on the frontline’ (Arte, 2019). She has been awarded the Golden Dove for Peace (2018), the True Story Award (2019) for an investigation on Syria’s desaparecidos, and the UNCA Prince Albert II Award (2021) for her work on the Iraq water crisis. She has a passion for deeply reported stories and for fostering community participation.

Arianna Pagani, filmmaker and video journalist

For over a decade, Arianna has been documenting civil society, humanitarian crises and armed conflicts. She has worked in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, the Western Balkans and Italy. She filmed ‘Iraq: Youth on the Front Line’ (Arte, 2019), a documentary which chronicles the popular protests that hit Iraq in 2019. She co-directed the web documentaries – ‘Iraq: Women Out of Darkness’ and ‘Iraq Without Water’ – and the documentary films ‘La Terra mi tiene’ (The Earth holds me, Fada Collective, 2022) and ‘Fight or Flight’ (Fada Collective & Kaadar, 2022)
She is fascinated by the possibilities offered by multimedia tools and she is always looking for innovative paths in journalism and storytelling. She has worked as a mentor and as a trainer, developing innovative educational projects for students and marginalized communities.

https://www.fadacollective.com/ 

 


Upcoming events

The Earth holds meLa terra mi tiene (2022)

Screening of a documentary by Sara Manisera and Arianna Pagani

Tuesday 13 February 2024, 5-7pm
School 3, United Colleges

Wheat as a metaphor for life, death and rebirth. In the heart of Cilento a journey to discover our fragile balance with the earth.

Ivan Di Palma is a farmer, graduated in philosophy, who has chosen to return to his native land in Atena Lucana, in the park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano, to devote himself to the sowing of wheat.

Teresa Vallone is an elderly woman, a peasant woman who chose to emigrate to Germany when she was young, abandoning the land to improve the living conditions of her children.

Their stories intertwine following the cycle of the seasons and the life of a grain of wheat, from sowing to harvesting, questioning the past, the present but above all the future of an earth that will be left to their children.

La Terra Mi Tiene (laterramitienedocumentario.com)

 

Decolonize Narrative: Words and Images to Break Stereotypes

A multimedia workshop for students by Sara Manisera and Arianna Pagani

Wednesday 14 February 2024, 3-5pm
Buchanan building, Room 216

This multimedia journalism lab will immerse participants in the dynamic intersection of words and visuals, utilizing practical examples and stories collected in the field – Iraq, Syria, Kosovo, Lebanon, Tunisia, Italy – by Sara Manisera and Arianna Pagani.

Dive into the realm of global phenomena, including migration, the climate crisis, gender issues, and interreligious dialogue, as we explore how journalism can challenge and reshape narratives. Through hands-on experiences, participants will learn to harness the power of storytelling to dismantle stereotypes, fostering a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of the complex issues shaping our world.

Please use this form to register to attend this workshop. This event is open to all students of the University of St Andrews.