Materia oscura

Set against the deceptively idyllic backdrop of Sardinia’s coastline and mountain ranges, Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti’s 2013 documentary offers the chilling portrait of a landscape long scarred by military activity. Operational since 1956, the missile testing site may appear “untouched”, yet it has endured decades of concealed destruction and warfare, evidence of which emerges in archival footage produced by the military’s own film department. In stark contrast to these official images, the filmmakers present other unsettling scenes: a geologist examining toxic soil; two farmers tending to livestock affected by contamination; the scattered remnants of spent munitions and industrial debris—all quiet but damning evidence of the site’s poisonous legacy. D’Anolfi’s camera lingers not on explosions or spectacle, but their silent aftermath—the unseen, the buried. His rigorous compositions speak volumes, immersing viewers in a visceral experience. More than a chronicle of environmental degradation, the film serves as a stark reminder of the long-term impact of military violence. Perhaps most harrowing is its suggestion that war’s damage doesn’t end neatly when the conflict concludes. (Hyun Jin Cho)

In the presence of Massimo D’Anolfi & Martina Parenti.

Massimo D’Anolfi, Martina Parenti (selection): I PROMESSI SPOSI (2007), GRANDI SPERANZE (2009), IL CASTELLO (2011), MATERIA OSCURA (2013), L’INFINITA FABBRICA DEL DUOMO (2015), SPIRA MIRABILIS (2016), BLU (2018, K), GUERRA E PACE (2020), UNA GIORNATA NELL’ARCHIVIO DI PIERO BOTTONI (2022, K), BESTIARI, ERBARI, LAPIDARI (2024)