by InTrieste
A preview of the Pequod festival, which intertwines literature, cinema, investigative journalism, and historical reconstruction, will take place tonight, October 28, at 5 p.m., at Teatro Miela.
The event features Antonio Caiazza, a journalist and author with Rai Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Luciano Tovoli, an Italian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. The session is moderated by Francesco De Filippo, a writer and journalist who heads ANSA’s Friuli Venezia Giulia bureau. Scenic designs are by Veronica Dariol.
Caiazza will present his latest book, Una storia scomoda – La guerra segreta al film con Mastroianni sugli italiani in Albania negli anni del fascismo (Bibliotheka Edizioni). Using previously unpublished documents from European diplomatic archives, the book reconstructs the story behind the planned film adaptation of Albanian author Ismail Kadare’s novel The General of the Lost Army.
The book details how the production of the 1983 film Il generale dell’armata morta, directed by Tovoli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Michel Piccoli, and Anouk Aimée, was abruptly halted. Despite extensive preparations in Albania, including location scouting and funds transferred to the Albanian State Bank, the crew was sent back to Italy without filming a single scene.
Previously, the interruption had been attributed to the Albanian authorities. Caiazza’s research, however, uncovered evidence of a covert diplomatic effort orchestrated by Italy to block the production. As De Filippo noted, the project was seen as politically sensitive due to its treatment of Italian colonialism.
Both the book and the film recount the Italian military mission of the 1950s in Albania to recover the remains of soldiers killed during the war against Greek forces and Albanian partisans. The narrative also highlights atrocities committed by Italian forces, including actions by Colonel Z., commander of the notorious Battaglione Azzurro.
Caiazza has decades of reporting experience on the Balkans, particularly Albania, and has authored several books on the region. Tovoli is a celebrated cinematographer and occasional director, with a career spanning Italy, France, and the United States. De Filippo has authored roughly twenty books, some adapted for theater.
The Pequod event promises to shed light on an overlooked episode of 20th-century Italian and Albanian history through archival research and cinematic storytelling.
