Benevento will host the world premiere of "A Million Yard Stare," the new film by Ravi Gautam, on Thursday 8 October 2026 at 17:00 at the Teatro Comunale Vittorio Emanuele. The screening is part of the 18th Benevento Social Film Festival ArTelesia.
Admission to the Benevento event is listed as free. A question-and-answer session and public discussion involving Gautam and members of the Ukrainian community is scheduled to follow the screening.
A story about childhood, trauma and recovery
The film follows Roma, a child affected by war-related trauma, and his mother Oxana, who tries to help him recover and smile again.
Rather than focusing on military events, the film examines the psychological and emotional consequences of war, displacement and forced migration, with particular attention to children and families.
Circus arts play a central role in the story as a means of expression, resilience and possible healing.
Direction and production
Ravi Gautam is credited as director. Production materials also credit him with the screenplay and editing.
The film is described as a German-Ukrainian collaboration about the psychological effects of war and displacement, with an international cast.
According to the production press kit, more than 100 refugees contributed to the production. Participating children, many of them refugees, received three months of training.
What to know before you go
Screening: 8 October 2026, 17:00.
Venue: Teatro Comunale Vittorio Emanuele, Benevento.
Festival context: 18th Benevento Social Film Festival ArTelesia.
Admission: listed as free.
Post-screening program: Q&A and public discussion involving Ravi Gautam and members of the Ukrainian community.
Why this premiere matters for Benevento
The choice of Benevento for a world premiere places a Sannio audience first in seeing a film made with extensive refugee participation. For local viewers, the post-screening discussion offers direct context on the themes of displacement and recovery addressed in the story.
The production background also adds perspective: with more than 100 refugee contributors and three months of training for the participating children, the film connects its fictional story of Roma and Oxana to a wider collective experience of war and forced migration.
