close
shape
Almanac
shape
Small format stories
shape
Team and contacts
close
16 December1976
Earthquake shacks
Author
Pier Paolo Rubini
Format
8mm
Duration
2'22''
Credits
Music & sound design by Michele Manzolini

Val Resia, Friuli, 16 December 1976. Pier Paolo Rubini documents with his camera some moments of reconstruction after the terrible earthquake a few months earlier. With amateur images that bear witness to the rebirth of a community and the long journey of building, which had to face the arrival of winter. And for once, we are not struck by the images of the disaster and destruction reported by the media the next day, but rather by the amateur and precious images of the slow return and the difficult everyday life away from the spotlight. From Rubini's film, of which we show an excerpt, we feel that the filmmaker's compassionate admiration shines through: he keeps the distance of the documentary filmmaker and at the same time wants to give a sign, with his silent testimony, of the great dedication on everyone's part. A dedication that would be remembered years later when the President of the Republic awarded the municipalities of Friuli the Gold Medal for Civil Merit: 'During a disastrous earthquake, with great dignity, spirit of sacrifice and civic commitment, he tackled the difficult task of reconstructing the fabric of the population, as well as the rebirth of its social, moral and economic future. A splendid example of civic value and high sense of duty, deserving of the admiration and gratitude of the entire nation'. Words of great recognition, but seeing the images is another matter.

Share