Europe DayEurope
Day'25

9 May

As has grown into a tradition, our friends at the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam open their archives around Europe Day and invite Europeans to see one of their acclaimed documentaries for free. This year they have selected Giulia Giapponesi’s documentary Bella Ciao, which premiered in 2022. This documentary will be available for free for the first 250 viewers on May 9, May 10 and May 11. Godere!

For decades, wherever people have fought against injustice, they have sung “Bella ciao.” It is said to have been the anthem of Italian partisans fighting against fascism in the Second World War, but there are those who doubt the truth of this. The origins of the song are unclear. Was it a folk song favored by exploited workers in the rice fields in Italy? The accounts of various speakers are richly illustrated with archive material.

Ultimately, the song’s origins are less important than what it means to the people who sing it. A Kurdish woman talks about the magical moment she first heard “Bella ciao” as a child, when it was sung during a demonstration—in the banned Kurdish language. In the film, the song connects the struggles for liberation by different generations in various countries. The main focus is on Italy, Turkey and Iraq, all countries in which democracy is under attack to a greater or lesser degree.

Click the button below to proceed to the dedicated IDFA page. [link forthcoming]