milk-teeth-special-project-en - FB
"Milk Teeth" Presented by UNICEF Italy at the XV Florence Biennale
In harmony with the theme of the XV Florence Biennale 2025, “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness”, dedicated to the coexistence of opposites as an essential condition for life and the development of every living being, UNICEF Italy presents the project "Milk Teeth". This ten-minute short film portrays the inner conflict experienced by Afghan girls, torn between opposing forces during the delicate transition from childhood to early adolescence.
For the XV Florence Biennale, in addition to the presentation and screening in the theater area, with interventions by the creators and contributors of Milk Teeth, the project includes the exhibition of a selection of Maria Matilde Fondi’s black-and -white drawings from the short film, displayed in a space created in collaboration with UNICEF Italy.
Short Film Overview
"Milk Teeth" was conceived by director Giuseppe Carrieri and actress and UNICEF Ambassador Alessandra Mastronardi, who visited Afghanistan in September 2023. The protagonist, Fatima, imagines fantastical ways to escape her fate: soaring freely like an heron or attempting to keep her wobbly teeth in place using plaster from her dentist father’s workshop. These dreamlike sequences leave the audience with a mix of sorrow for Afghan girls’ reality and hope for a future change.
The project highlights UNICEF’s ongoing commitment in Afghanistan to guarantee girls’ right to education up to 12 years old and to support educational programs that allowed approximately 3,500 Afghan children to attend school last year, through teaching materials and teacher training.