"an Act of Killing-style re-enactment of the 1919 conquest of the Adriatic city of what is now Rijeka by a rag-tag army assembled by the proto-fascist dandy-poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. It was precisely the kind of quirky cinematic gem that the European film awards should be there to champion: a film ignored by the main festivals, about an overlooked but relevant episode in history."
"In his acceptance speech, Bezinovic thanked the non-professional actors he'd recruited in his home town of Rijeka. But since the awards ceremony was held in Berlin, he also drew attention to the fact that, last month, 55,000 students in 90 cities had taken to the streets to protest against the militarisation of Germany and against conscription. Bezinovic said he hoped that these protests will inspire students all over Europe."
Art creates spaces that can tolerate difficult answers to difficult questions, unlike politics where politicians face pressure to give easy answers. The European Film Awards moved its annual ceremony to January to position itself as a tastemaker for grownup cinema. The best documentary prize went to Fiume o Morte! by Croatian director Igor Bezinovic, an Act of Killing-style re-enactment of the 1919 conquest of Rijeka by a rag-tag army led by Gabriele D'Annunzio. The film was ignored by main festivals and highlights an overlooked historical episode. Bezinovic cited recent German student protests—55,000 in 90 cities—against militarisation and conscription. Pacifism remains central to modern European identity due to detachment from intense militarisation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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