Being a borderland (and what a border!) guarantees both marginality and centrality to a particular territory, depending on the historical context and the events that unfold there. Among all the borders of Italy, Friuli Venezia Giulia is undoubtedly the one that has been most frequently crossed by invaders from every era and has been affected by some of the most catastrophic conflicts in the Old Continent, primarily the two world wars. Thus, it is a land of conquest and subjugation, but at the same time, a crucial epicenter for the redefinition of future borders in a region that is as strategically important as few others in Europe, marking the boundary between the West and the East – a significant distinction. It is a place of deep periphery and supranational centrality, a contradictory characteristic that makes it a fertile ground for suggestions and ideas.
In 1918, at a field hospital near the front lines, Stefano and Giulio work together, bound by fate but divided by opposing views on politics and the duty of a soldier. Their relationship is further complicated by their shared love for Anna, a nurse who supports them through da...
I chose to come to this region because the story of my film required Friuli Venezia Giulia and these places, restoring honesty to roles and people
Cinema is, of course, not immune to this, as we know well, given that some of the most important films in the history of cinema on the theme of conflict were shot here, starting with Monicelli’s masterpiece La Grande Guerra and the equally successful A Farewell to Arms by Charles Vidor. Completing an ideal trilogy on the catastrophic conflict that forever ended the European imperial era is Amelio’s new film, Campo di battaglia (Battleground), a journey into the absurdity of an excessively bloody war. The film was shot in various locations throughout the region, primarily in Udine, the main city featured in the film, but also in Venzone, Tolmezzo, Codroipo (Villa Manin), Cormons, and Gorizia. The film, produced by Kavac Film, Ibc Movie, One Art with Rai Cinema, and distributed by 01, benefited from the crucial support of the FVG Film Commission – PromoTurismoFVG, whose activities are increasingly widespread and complex, involving the entire region as an ideal setting not only for war films.
