Irpinia, mon amour: A Docu-Fiction on Southern Italy's Neglected Province

Federico Di Cicilia's docu-fiction 'Irpinia, mon amour' confronts the stereotypes of the Irpinia region in southern Italy, depicting it as an existential non-place overshadowed by institutional neglect and political ubiquity. The film uses photographic incursions and archival footage to contrast Irpinia's history with that of Italy, revealing a landscape grayed by landfills, drilling, stalled public works, industrial sabotage, and progressive depopulation. It follows several narratives: nihilistic youths seeking the perfect spot to end their lives; a militant graduate resigned to door-to-door sales after his brother's death in Afghanistan; and subversive outsiders who stage an 'apotropaic' kidnapping of local politician De Cicco (played by Franco Pinelli). The recurring motif of suicide, set against Italy's highest provincial suicide rate, is portrayed with grotesque verisimilitude. One protagonist, Francesco, obsessively searches for a public place to die, surrealistically charging at wind turbines like Don Quixote. The film also addresses generational incomunicability and migration, echoing post-war exoduses. Despite the bleakness, Di Cicilia frames the work as a courageous act of hope for those who have left, returned, or stayed to change things. 'Irpinia, mon amour' is the story of many towns but ultimately tells one: Irpinia as Italy.