Notes and Observations on the Concept of Cinematic Culture in Gorizia
Part II: The Contemporary State of the Art

07.01.2025

Looking at the past forty years of the relationship between cinema and Gorizia, and examining the key initiatives responsible both for the survival of these connections and for the evolution of this renewed cinematic culture, one cannot help but observe an important distinction that warrants the reader’s attention. The cinematic culture of the past—defined by the activities, initiatives, and individuals that shaped it, as detailed in the previous section—no longer exists. In its place, a new cinematic culture has gradually emerged, fuelled by new activities, new initiatives, and new individuals who are acutely aware of cinema’s decentralization in the media landscape of the late 20th century and this millennium.

Cinema is no longer at the centre of cultural debate. The so-called “new media”, or more accurately, “alternative audiovisual media”, have definitively displaced its once-dominant status. This shift has, in turn, prompted studies and attention toward cinema to find new spaces and formulas suited to the times. This phenomenon, both cultural and industrial, was presciently anticipated by film theorists such as Francesco Casetti, who, speaking of cinema’s “relocation”, identified in various audiovisual media the new escape routes for moving images. With cinema now being omnipresent, there is an urgent need to rethink its formulas, spaces, and discourses.

But let us return to the narrative thread of our two protagonists, Darko Bratina and Sandro Scandolara. The first retrospective on Slovene cinema, along with the television specials dedicated to it, held unparalleled sociocultural significance for the people of Gorizia at the time. In those instances, cinema—through its linguistic properties—gained undeniable identity-building value, not only for the Slovene people, who, as Bratina noted, could rediscover segments of their historical roots through the medium, but also for the citizens of Gorizia as a whole. The city’s residents, shaped by their intercultural and cross-border historical and geographical culture, also derived value from these events.

In the years that followed, other important initiatives emerged, nurtured in that same period. Notably, one particular innovation introduced in the early 1980s continues to draw cinematic attention to the city today. On 1 August 1981, within the splendid setting of Gorizia Castle, a commemorative event was held in honour of the screenwriter Sergio Amidei, who had passed away just months earlier at the age of 76.

The idea for this event originated with and was brought to life by Darko Bratina himself, who had been inspired by Amidei’s figure and by a conversation they had in Belgrade in 1977., Learning, during that conversation, about the origins of Amidei’s mother, who had grown up in the town of Salkan, Bratina proposed a grand tribute to the screenwriter in Gorizia. He thus prepared a meticulously curated programme featuring 22 films written by Amidei, which served, in that distant August of 1981, as the foundation for the event titled “The Figure and Work of Sergio Amidei in Italian Cinema”.

The then mayor of Gorizia, Antonio Scarano, recognized the potential for a second edition and further iterations of the event. However, it wasn’t until years later, with the establishment of a cultural association dedicated to the screenwriter in 1992, that it adopted its current title: the International Sergio Amidei Award for Best Screenplay.

The driving force behind this development was Giuseppe Longo, the current artistic director of the award, who took up Bratina’s original idea alongside friends and collaborators from that era, including Nereo Battello, Dorella Cantarut, Gabriella Gabrielli, Ivo Mauri, Rodolfo Ziberna, and many others. Bratina, too, was among the signatories of the association, breathing new life into the event and providing it with renewed momentum. And yet, despite the success and resonance of events like these, Gorizia could not yet be definitively called “a city of cinema”. This was emphasized repeatedly by Bratina and Scandolara in their writings, as they aspired to make Gorizia a reference point for cinematic culture. What has contributed most significantly to sustaining and giving hope to this ambition were the efforts surrounding the broader production chain of audiovisual works. Alongside the earlier debates in cineforums and cultural clubs, and the still-active initiatives such as the Amidei Award, Tribute to a Vision, and conferences like this one, new production entities gradually emerged in Gorizia and its surroundings. These entities have fostered the development of several creators and professionals now active on local, national, and international levels.

However, the presence of organizations specializing in audiovisual production is not a novelty of the past forty years. As mentioned in the previous discussion, early amateur production efforts in Gorizia—like much of Italy at the time—were stimulated by organizations affiliated with the National Fascist Party. Similarly, the fleeting but notable ventures of Gorizian amateur filmmakers after World War II marked a significant moment in the local cinematic landscape. Central figures in this movement included journalists Ugo Pilato and Quarto Cossi, both of whom had prior experience in production through the Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro and the Littoriali festivals promoted by Mussolini’s regime. Their contributions laid the groundwork for a flourishing amateur filmmaking community that involved many Gorizian citizens and produced a substantial number of short-format films between 1953 and 1966. This rich microhistory, which might otherwise have faded into obscurity, has been vividly recounted by Martina Pizzamiglio.

Despite the productive outcomes of these shared efforts, discussions about cinematic and audiovisual production in Gorizia only regained prominence in the 1980s. One of the sparks that reignited such projects in the city was undoubtedly the establishment of the Kinoatelje film club in 1977. As previously noted, Kinoatelje was founded by Bratina and immediately set out to promote Slovene cinematic culture through numerous initiatives, including the renowned “Film Video Monitor”. The organization spearheaded audiovisual projects that remain part of the region’s memory and archives. Among these were works by directors such as Andrej Mlakar, Danijel Jarc, and Boris Palčič, who were among the first to establish Kinoatelje as a bona fide production entity. Mlakar, in particular, directed Kinoatelje’s first major project, Zamejci (1989), in collaboration with the Slovene national broadcaster RTV Ljubljana. This film explored the habits, traditions, and rituals of Slovene communities in Gorizia, Trieste, and the Natisone Valleys, with Bratina himself contributing to the screenplay. The traditional rituals of Gorizia also took centre stage in Sejem pripadnosti (Identity Fair, 1992), directed by Jarc and also produced with the Slovene broadcaster. This film depicted the annual St. Andrew’s Fair, delving into its key moments and communal significance while offering thoughtful reflections on themes of borders, identity, belonging, and the ongoing conflicts affecting the region at the time.

In later years, filmmakers such as Anja Medved, Nadja Velušček, Dorino Minigutti, and Alvaro Petricig became pivotal to Kinoatelje’s productions. Medved and Velušček debuted in 1999 with Niso letele ptice (The Birds Did Not Fly), a documentary recounting the wartime memories of nonagenarians from the area, who were children at the time. The film examined their perceptions of the conflict’s consequences, drawing on meticulous research involving interviews, newspapers, publications, and private diaries. The pair continued to collaborate on other Kinoatelje projects, including Il mio confine / Moja meja (My Border,2002), Mesto na travniku / La città sul prato (Town in a Meadow, 2004), Trenutek reke / Il tempo del fiume (Timeless River, 2010), and Vžgano v spominih / Le memorie degli incendi (Burnt in Memories, 2017), eventually founding their own production company, Kinokašča, to continue their work in the sector.

More recently, filmmakers such as Leo Černic, Jan Mozetič, Jan Devetak, and Giulio De Paolis have further enriched Kinoatelje’s production history and contributed to the contemporary audiovisual landscape of the region with their respective works. The evolution of this audiovisual landscape over the years cannot, however, be attributed solely to the numerous initiatives and projects promoted by the organizations and individuals mentioned so far. On the contrary, many others have contributed to enriching its productive value.

Matteo Oleotto is, without a doubt, one of the most prominent figures in the Gorizian audiovisual sector today. His expertise, now the foundation of numerous nationally significant projects, stems from the same cultural environment that defined Gorizia’s productive scene in the 1990s and early 2000s. For Oleotto, this foundation lies both in his experience with Kinoatelje and in his earlier involvement with the Kairos collective. Founded in 1996 by a group of passionate cinephiles, including Giuliana Bellini, Sabrina Del Neris, Emilio Quinzi, Noemi Lakovic, and Oleotto himself, Kairos emerged from a close collaboration with the Mental Health Department of the former O.P.P. of Gorizia. The initiative aimed to create cultural activities, events, and short films in partnership with the institute’s staff and patients. It was within this context that Oleotto produced his first short film, La luna ci guarda (2001), inspired by a competition on fairy tales announced in the local press. Around the same time, other projects sprang up in Gorizia, such as the subversive “6x60”, a format coordinated by Gianandrea Sasso and organized between 2007 and 2010 by the association Makingo, chaired by Francesco Berni. Based in Palazzo del Cinema, this initiative invited participants to create short films, no longer than six minutes, within sixty hours while adhering to prompts and constraints set by the organizers. The unique structure of this format contributed to its success from its very first acclaimed edition, and although Makingo has since been disbanded, the project lives on in other forms, carried forward by a similarly passionate group of cinephiles.

More structured, however, are the current endeavours of production companies like Staragara IT, led by Miha Černec and David Cej, which has launched numerous collaborative projects between Slovenia and Italy in recent years. Tesla Production, founded in 2017 by producer Chiara Toffolo and director Cristian Natoli, has also made significant contributions, as has Galaxia, headed by Antonella Perrucci. Galaxia has become a renowned casting agency with an impressive portfolio, doubling as a production house for major projects.

In sum, this array of individuals, events and projects has transformed Gorizia and its surrounding region into a sociocultural landscape and productive environment where the audiovisual industry has, in recent years, adapted to the medium’s demands. It has pursued—and, to some extent, realized—the shared ambitions and outcomes envisioned by two pioneers of Gorizian cinematic culture. Their dream, which continues to inspire respect, affection and enthusiasm, serves as a lasting legacy. It is a lesson that continues—and will always continue—to inspire today’s and tomorrow’s dreamers.

Author: Steven Stergar