L'isola deserta dei carbonai
The desert island of the charcoal burners
Andrea Fenoglio / Italy / 2007 / 72 min / Colour
Since the second half of the 20th century, the job of charcoal burner has slowly dis- appeared. The film explores this traditional discipline as narrated through the voices of two coal burners of the Val Lemina in Piedmont and shows, with meticulous atten- tion, the various aspects of coal production from its mining to combustion. Through the tales of coal vendors and images of forests, valleys and hamlets, we discover a ghost town of sorts, a deserted territory in which man is utterly absent, even if traces of man's original presence, eventual disappearance and possible return are implied.
Andrea Fenoglio
Credits
Language Italian Screenplay Andrea Fenoglio, Piergiorgio Manavella Cinematography Sandro De Frino, Andrea Fenoglio Editing Marco Odetto Production company Detour Audiovisivi