Taken from Dante's Divine Comedy, "wind of Swabia" refers to the sweeping power of a certain emperor over an Italian region, of man over nature, or in this case, of poison over people. The southern Italian city of Brindisi lies between two of Europe's largest industrial plants: the Eni petrochemical company and the Enel coal power station. Filmmaker Corrado Punzi chronicles life on the surface of this heavily trafficked port region, strictly observing the daily activities and distractions of its seemingly unaffected population. Long takes of massive sea freighters negotiating the harbour are cut with footage of workers harvesting fields against an endless backdrop of smokestacks. Crowds cheer at a basketball game emblazoned with corporate logos while a lawyer argues quietly in a nearby courtroom against the very same sponsor. Cleverly, a menacing main character emerges—the disastrous effects of unchecked environmental pollution—in this finely crafted cautionary tale. Myrocia Watamaniuk
Co-presented with Italian Trade Commission.