Marina Gumzi

Fiume or Death!

Through dramatic reconstruction and documentary asides, the spirit of Italian poet, playwright, journalist, aristocrat and army officer Gabriele D’Annunzio is captured, presenting the nascent fascism in his attempts to forge a new state in the aftermath of the First World War.

Common Pear

In a not-too-distant future ravaged by climate crisis, a team of scientists analyse the archival footage of farmers from the past, in an attempt to understand their connection to the land. In this beautifully shot blend of documentary and fiction, Gregor Božić pays warm tribute to the old growers of the Goriška region in Western Slovenia, who appreciated fruit as more than merely a product for sale.

Stories from the Chestnut Woods

In the mid-20th century, in a forested valley between Italy and Yugoslavia, a stingy widower befriends a young woman and helps her depart across the ocean to find there a better life. A chance encounter gives rise to a dreamy parable on loss, loneliness and the power of imagination.

Tales of Fruits and Monsters

A Slovenian filmmaker-botanist and a Japanese neuroscientist join forces to study an unusual agricultural document from the mid-20th century. The manuscript describes the case of a pear tree from a small village on the Yugoslav-Italian border, which was believed to be holding miraculous power to defy time.