Presentazione

Genre Documentary
Director Giampaolo Penco
Production company Videoest
Website videoest.it

Fertilia had been projected during Fascism: it should have become the main centre for the drainage of the Nurra plain, a huge desolate area, north of Alghero. In 1936 100 houses were inaugurated, where some farmers from Ferrara and their families could settle in: their task was the drainage of those swamps. However, because of World War II, Fertilia could not be completed. At the end of the war, the town was completely abandoned, with the church being used as a stable for animals. In 1947, the Treaties of Paris officially put an end to the war and ratify the handover of Dalmatia, Rijeka and Istria to Yugoslavia. The Italians who lived in those areas had to choose whether accepting the Yugoslavian citizenship or leaving for Italy, abandoning their homes to the Yugoslavian State. Most of them decided to leave. Within this context, Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi sent a commission of experts to Sardinia in order to evaluate the possibility of settlement of refugees in Fertilia. Lands and houses were given to the exiles, who moved there together with the parish priest. At the end of 1948, more than 1,000 refugees arrived in Fertilia, most of which were fishermen. 450 out of them had arrived, after sailing for more than 20 days.Nowadays, several languages are spoken in this area, such as Sardinian, Algherese dialect (which derives from old Catalan) but also the Istrian – Venetian dialect. This film not only recovers the individual stories but it is also a group photo, which includes those who are still living and their descendants.

Supported for the Development

Credits

Regia/Director: Giampaolo Penco
Sceneggiatura/Screenwriter: Giampaolo Penco
Produzione/Production company: Videoest