Silenced History - the case of Trieste, Italy
A city on the former Iron Curtain. Between 1918 and 1945, half million people had their identity Italianised, they were all indigenous Slavs born and bread in the Northeastern part of present-day Italy. Their history of suffering and persecution has never been narrated in Italian cinema or television until this day.
In time, this space will be populated by several items. Right now, one film and some images. Go to 'Lunch with Family' to follow the next step in my process of discovery and creative practice. I hope you enjoy!
This is an order for the enlargement of the Italian concentration camps of Visco and Gonars. Gonars was almost exclusively for Slavs. Note the date: January 1943. The German invaded Italy only in September 1943, these are not German camps.
https://romanaturina.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/dvi06.jpg?w=700
1) Follow this story and find out more as I upload material. How would you patch everything together? Here a teaser...
A voice from the past: "I am editing the short film, but I bet you might enjoy the teaser of 'Behind the Book'. The film explores the consequences of history's mediation in contemporary society and reveals details on the forced Italianisation of the Slovenians at the hands of the Fascist Italian during 1918-1945 in Trieste, Slovenia, and Istria."
https://vimeo.com/96402870
Silenced history has the ability to comes alive in details, names, and perception of events. This short aims to consider how the linear form of storytelling handles the complexity of silenced history in the narrative form. Is what is silenced simply a matter of events, or has the time that flew between then and now loaded the memory of much more?
Synopsys: After writing a book about her grandfather's heroic deeds during the Second World War, Edda is invited to present it on the show 'Behind the Book'. Excited and proud, she is not ready to face what awaits her, the past.
https://vimeo.com/141881380
2) Watch the film 'Behind the Book'. Is there more silence or story? How does history enter the lives of people? Can one event discovered by chance change everything?
3) Drop a line! How does the material make you feel? Think?
4) Do you know a case of silenced history? This can be as small as a single event that affected a community but was never reported by the media.