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SCREENING SELECTION 2020

NO ISLAND LIKE HOME

Nominated for SDG Films - Goal 15: Life on Land

Information

Year: 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Duration: 45'

Language: English

Directors: Giulio Gobbetti, Jan Stöckel

Producer: Giulio Gobbetti

Cinematographer: Jan Stöckel

Sound Recordist: Mārtiņš Baumanis

Editor: Giulio Gobbetti

Composer: Michelangelo Ciminale

Sound Designer: Adam Woodhams

Colourist: Stéphane Ma

No Island Like Home.jpg

After a devastating volcanic eruption in 1995, the beautiful Caribbean island of Montserrat experienced a mass exodus. But many refused to leave, despite the social and economic destruction the volcano caused. Can a community torn apart by the force of nature ever truly recover? More than two decades ago, the volcano in Montserrat exploded with catastrophic consequences. Although many years have since passed, Celeste vividly remembers the eruption. She lost her life’s work: the shop she owned on the island’s capital. Today, where her shop once stood, lays an ash-coated ghost town. However, much like the regrowth of vegetation across the land, the community has a new-found vitality. Youngsters race cars on abandoned streets, taking back what the volcano stole from them. Mappie, a gardener, hikes with us through the thick rainforest: “The volcano does a range of good and bad” he says. “People thought Montserratians would have left. But I’m staying.” Yet, the volcano, under observation by scientists, lurks menacingly in the background. As everyday life unfolds, the most awaited day of the year arrives - St Patrick's day. It is a litmus test: will people fill the streets, resilient? Or will the streets remain empty, signalling a community broken beyond repair?

Giulio Gobbetti, Jan Stöckel.jpg

Giulio Gobbetti is a producer, director and editor. He has a broad experience in producing and editing commercial projects, which he put at the service of his documentary work. He worked as a cinematographer and editor in several shorts and feature documentaries, including the award-winning Poshida, that premiered at BFI Flare in 2016.

Jan Stöckel is a director and cinematographer. He has a background in visual anthropology and an interest in human stories and how to depict them on screen. He has worked as a cinematographer on various short- and feature documentaries as well as video-ethnographic projects.

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