"Das Land", 200X100, Milton Camilo

Da Rio a Wuppertal

Il motivo principale per cui mi sono trasferito dal Brasile in Germania è la libertà. Soprattutto la libertà di muoversi – camminare lungo le strade e sentirsi al sicuro. Ma questo non vuol dire che mi sia allontanato dal mio paese d’origine, anzi, direi proprio il contrario. Definisce molto chi sono e mi permette di portare con me gli aspetti positivi del Brasile nella vita di tutti i giorni, ovunque essa sia (in questo momento a Wuppertal).
Germany, Western Europe

Story by Milton Camilo. Translated by Silvia Stabile
Published on July 5, 2020.

This story is also available in GB br fr



Sono arrivato in Germania per un motivo principale: la libertà. Qui la vita ha un valore, conta – non come in Brasile, dove solo nel 2017, 63.880 persone sono morte a causa della criminalità [1]. In Germania, sembra che la vita valga di più. Qui non vieni ucciso per le scarpe che indossi; piuttosto accade il contrario.

Ad esempio, lungo la strada che faccio per andare al lavoro a Wuppertal (Germania) c’è un senzatetto che incontro e a cui do sempre un po’ di soldi. L’altro giorno non avevo contanti con me e gli dissi: “Mi dispiace, oggi non ho niente con me.” Un attimo dopo, l’uomo mi corse dietro - voleva darmi tutti i soldi che aveva raccolto quel giorno. Pensava fossi io quello che aveva bisogno di soldi quel giorno.

Vengo da un quartiere popolare di Rio e, da bambino, non ho mai nemmeno immaginato di lasciare il Brasile. Sono molto legato a mia madre, alla mia casa e al mio quartiere. Eppure, quando avevo circa 19 anni e mi iscrissi ad una Scuola di Danza Classica, per i miei vicini questa fu la conferma di ciò che già sospettavano: ero omosessuale (anche se dal mio punto di vista io mi innamoravo delle persone, a prescindere dal loro genere). All’epoca, vivevo in una casa da solo con mia madre. Un giorno, qualcuno cercò di introdursi in casa. Disse che voleva “la cosa più preziosa che c’era in casa”: voleva stuprarmi.

Mia madre gridò. Vide i vicini che guardavano facendo finta di niente, così gridò i loro nomi finché non si sentirono in colpa e vennero ad aiutarci. L’intruso finse di essere semplicemente ubriaco e fece per andarsene, ma quando i vicini se ne andarono, si voltò, mi guardò e disse: “Tornerò a prenderti.”

Il mondo mi crollò addosso. Avevo il terrore di muovermi ovunque. Questa sensazione continuò per diversi mesi, finché un giorno, un tipo molto sospetto che girava nel nostro quartiere mi prese in simpatia. Quando raccontai a quest’uomo la storia dell’intruso, lui mi disse: “Non preoccuparti, me ne occuperò io.” Sul momento non capii. Qualche giorno dopo, l’uomo arrivò in macchina e uccise il mio aggressore, in pieno giorno, davanti a tutti. Nonostante questo, sentivo ancora il bisogno di fuggire.

Durante questo periodo venni a conoscenza della “Ausdruckstanz” [2] in Germania. Frequentai un seminario con due ballerini tedeschi – mi dissero che avevo davvero della stoffa e che sarei dovuto andare in Germania a studiare la Ausdruckstanz. Due anni dopo, all’età di 27 anni, mi trasferii in Germania, per studiare danza contemporanea e sperimentare una “vita più libera” [3]. In Germania ho trovato un posto in cui la vita di ognuno ha un valore e dove mi sento al sicuro – tutto un altro mondo rispetto alla mia infanzia a Rio.

Ma non ho “lasciato” Rio per sempre. Mantengo i legami con il mio paese d’origine – ci torno spesso in visita e mi tengo aggiornato sulla situazione politica. Nonostante i progressi siano lenti, voglio sperare che il Brasile stia migliorando. La gente ne ha avuto abbastanza della corruzione del governo e delle ingiustizie. Inoltre, Rio vive dentro di me, nella mia danza e nella mia arte. Per me, la danza e l’arte sono un’espressione di libertà – per le persone, un modo per superare la politica e l’oppressione, che sia in Brasile o in Germania.


[1] https://www.diepresse.com/5478130/mordrate-in-brasilien-erreicht-neue-hohen

[2] Danza espressiva

[3] Se volete conoscere i miei progetti legati a danza e arte, date un’occhiata a http://www.miltoncamilo.de/index.php


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Milton Camilo

Milton Camilo

Photo Credits: Suilian Richon

Hey, I am Milton Camillo. I am a 50-year-old Afro-Brazilian dancer and artist from Rio who emigrated to Germany more than 20 years ago. I am currently living in Wuppertal and focusing on my paintings. Within them, you can often find a certain sense of melancholy, a grasp of what is described by the Portuguese word “Saudade”. With my paintings, I am breaking up the normalized structures that have been taken for granted by the grown-ups in comparison to children, where everything is still fluid and possible. In that sense, they can definitely be understood politically.

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