Canadian Premiere
The Croatian city of Rijeka rediscovers its own forgotten history in this delightfully unconventional hybrid documentary. In 1919, the decadent Italian poet, lothario, general, and proto-fascist Gabriele D’Annunzio takes great interest in the city known in Italian as Fiume — occupying it and proclaiming himself ruler. His short-lived regency causes an international uproar and local consternation before his ouster. In the present, director Igor Bezinović invites hundreds of locals to take part in a new documentary, turning the film into a citywide occasion of participation and collective storytelling.
A shifting, protean film, Fiume o Morte! moves between absurdist re-enactments and documented record. From whimsical sight gags to a sobering examination of fascism, Bezinović plays with history, inviting the viewer to laugh at the seams between history and invention while recognizing D’Annunzio’s self-aggrandizing vision of rule as an absurd act of invention in itself. This is a charming tour de force of cinematic storytelling that brings a truly fascinating piece of forgotten history to life.
Izet Medošević, Ćenan Beljulji, Albano Vučetić, Tihomir Buterin, Andrea Marsanich, Massimo Ronzani
Croatia/Italy/Slovenia
2025
In Croatian and Italian with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Vanja Jambrović, Tibor Keser
Screenwriter
Igor Bezinović
Cinematography
Gregor Božič
Editor
Hrvoslava Brkušić
Production Design
Anton Spazzapan, Tiziana De Mario
Original Music
Giovanni Maier, Hrvoje Nikšić
Igor Bezinović
Igor Bezinović is a filmmaker born in Rijeka, now part of Croatia following a long history of shifting borders and foreign occupations. His films include The Blockade (2012) and Veruda (2015), both winners of the Oktavijan prize for Best Croatian Documentary, as well as A Brief Excursion (Big Golden Arena prize for Best Croatian Feature at the Pula Film Festival, 2017) and many shorts of all shapes and sizes. His work has been shown internationally at events including IFFR, DOK Leipzig, Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Venice Biennale of Architecture, Museum of the Moving Image, Guanajuato IFF, and Viennale, among others.
Filmography: Blokada (2012); A Brief Excursion (2017)
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