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21 October1962
Super Coop
Author
Franco Cigarini
Format
16mm
Credits
Music by Francesca Baccolini

On Sunday 21 October 1962, a big celebration is held for the opening of a super coop in San Martino in Rio, in the province of Reggio Emilia. "The super coop at the complete service of the consumer" represents a turning point in the history of mutuality, which has strong 19th-century roots, and whose modern evolution it embodies: an economic and social model that proposes itself as an alternative, in the rapidly changing context of Italy in the 1960s, increasingly moving in the direction of a society based on consumerism and the logic of profit. For Franco Cigarini, this day of celebration and pride for members, with speeches by politicians, trade unionists and the crowded inauguration of the supermarket, is an opportunity to celebrate the world of Emilian cooperatives with the 16mm camera. What emerges is a short documentary that promotes the model of 'cooperation for democratic economic development', not only for aspects concerning distribution, but also for food production.

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