#FILM
“Mamme Volanti” by Giulio Tonincelli and Paolo Fossati (2022)
With an estimated 90 million tonnes of dumped waste, the province of Brescia (according to the latest estimates of Legambiente, Italy’s most polluted city) is one of the most contaminated industrial areas in Europe. Unfortunately, the onset of cancerous diseases related to the dispersion of toxic products in the environment has reached dramatic thresholds. Despite these alarming numbers and the omertous presence of quarries and illegal dumps, the image of Brescia as a thriving and fertile urban centre remains intact. Precisely against this ‘veil of maia’ woven of appearances and respectability, the struggle of the Mothers of Castenedolo stands out vigorously; a group of courageous women fighting for the health of the territory and their children.
It is with this critical mass that Giulio Tonincelli and Paolo Fossati measure themselves, not only as directors but also, and above all, as Brescians. With the neatness of a fixed camera attentive to geometries and a particular attention to photography, the two follow some of the stages of mothers in their environmentalist struggle.
In the Brescia area, for many years now, land, water and air do nothing but release what has been criminally dispersed: poisons and diseases. They, the ‘flying mums’, have chosen not to pretend.
– Francesco A. Dubini
Did you enjoy the article? Watch the trailer for the film here!
To learn about our 2023 selection, visit our “Ten Shorts Around the World“ page!