Latent Community's Film Otranto Examines 1997 Albanian Refugee Tragedy and Monumental Politics
Otranto, a film created by the artist group Latent Community, featuring Ionian Bisai and Sotiris Tsiganos, tells the heartbreaking story of the Katër i Radës shipwreck in 1997. On March 28, that year, the Italian navy's warship Sibilla led to the sinking of the boat in the Strait of Otranto, claiming the lives of 81 Albanian refugees. The film includes the experiences of families involved in legal proceedings and offers a critique of Italy's 2012 monument, The Landing, by Costas Varotsos. Bisai aims to confront nationalistic mourning narratives. With a circular storytelling approach, it also emphasizes family traditions at the Vlora port while examining migration empathy and critiquing media sensationalism and harsh immigration policies.
Key facts
- The film Otranto was created from 2019 to 2020 by artist collective Latent Community (Ionian Bisai and Sotiris Tsiganos).
- On March 28, 1997, the Italian navy warship Sibilla sank the Albanian refugee ship Katër i Radës, killing 81 people.
- The Katër i Radës wreck was transformed into a monument titled The Landing in Otranto, Italy in January 2012 by Greek sculptor Costas Varotsos.
- Victims' families conduct annual rituals at Vlora port, throwing flowers into the sea to commemorate the tragedy.
- Court proceedings related to the sinking have continued for decades without resolution satisfactory to families.
- The film structure begins and ends at the Otranto monument, creating a circular narrative around the reading of victims' names.
- Latent Community's earlier film Neromanna (2017) explored water and memory through a submerged Greek village.
- The interview was conducted via Zoom in October 2021 and published on November 24, 2021.
Entities
Artists
- Ionian Bisai
- Sotiris Tsiganos
- Costas Varotsos
- Christoph Büchel
- Aida Šehović
- Edit András
- Ana Lupaş
- Miška Mandić
- Kuba Dorabialski
- Mladen Miljanović
- Ilona Németh
- Raino Isto
Institutions
- Latent Community
- Italian navy
- Italian government
- Venice Biennial
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Otranto
- Italy
- Albania
- Vlora
- Greece
- Strait of Otranto
- Mediterranean
- Balkans
- Lesbos
- Libya
- Syria
- Afghanistan
- America
- Athens
- Mornos Lake
- Kallio
- Central and Eastern Europe
Sources
- ARTMargins —
- ARTMargins —